I'll Never Forget
by iLady A
Summary: After Serah's death, Lightning enters crystal stasis to preserve her sister's memory and to atone for her past. However, the process goes awry and she is instead pulled from Valhalla. Waking up in an unfamiliar world, her memories have been erased, and now she must search for her forgotten past while dealing with a new threat.
1. Prologue: The Promise

Prologue – The Promise

* * *

 _I'll never forget.._

 _I promised you that._

 _Even if I stand to lose everything,_

 _I'll preserve your memory for the tomorrows yet to be._

 _Come what may.._

 _I could breathe my last breath and the world be crumbling into oblivion._

 _There are ways to keep a thought alive,_

 _and I know one that works for sure._

 _Indestructible crystal._

 _Even in the sea of chaos it never loses its shine._

 _I will become an eternal epitaph._

 _Your memory will survive an eternity within a crystal tomb._

 _This shall be my legacy, and my atonement,_

 _but most of all..my final hope._

 _These thoughts that live on in my heart,_

 _they will endure the passing of eons._

 _If they can one day be the light that guides Serah's soul back to me.._

 _If we can laugh together just one more time.._

 _Well..then I would have nothing left to wish for._

Lightning took her place upon Etro's throne and crossed her legs, gently resting her gunblade securely across her lap. Her body had begun to radiate a pale blue, signifying that the crystallization process had begun. She felt a warm numbing sensation begin in her feet, rapidly making its way upward into her legs. She had no desire to witness the crystal consume her body, so she decided to close her eyes. It was best to not think about it.

 _Yeah, right._

Leaning back, she pressed her spine firmly against the cool stone surface of the throne, its coldness contrasting with the warmth that had made its way past her legs and was now settling into her core. She felt the warmth paralyzing her body as it spread, soon making it hard for her to breathe. Even with the creeping warmth of crystal stasis consuming her body, she couldn't shake the all too familiar feelings of coldness..and loneliness. It was a terrifying feeling to be experiencing this again so soon, but unlike last time, this time it had been entirely her choice.

In the not too distant past, she and her friends had been branded l'Cie by the Pulse Fal'Cie, Anima, and given a terrible focus. Once branded, a l'Cie was no different than a slave. Bound to a focus, the l'Cie had only two available options: defy or fail the focus and turn into a monstrous Cie'th, or complete the focus and gain eternal life through crystal stasis. Neither option would truly release the l'Cie from the Fal'Cie's hold. Even if the l'Cie completed their focus and turn to crystal, they had no choice but to wait for their Fal'Cie to reanimate them to serve a new purpose. Either way, to be branded was no different than a death sentence.

Anima had tasked Lightning and the others with taking the form of the dreaded beast, Ragnarok, and to wreak havoc on Cocoon. They had all had the same dream that night in the Pulse Vestige. It had been their common focus to become the beast, remove the floating world of Cocoon from its seat in the sky, and send it crashing into the world of Pulse below. This terrible act would have succeeded in ending millions of innocent lives in a mass sacrifice, but according to the evil Fal'Cie, Barthandelous, it would have also succeeded in summoning the world's maker: the almighty Bhunivelze.

After being branded Pulse l'Cie and declared enemies of Cocoon by the sanctum, Lightning and company had decided to defy their focus, damn the consequences. They instead journeyed to Eden, Cocoon's sanctum seat of power, to defeat Barthandelous, who had been pulling the strings behind their focus all along, while crafting them into the perfect instruments for Cocoons demise. Barthandelous had informed them that it was ultimately their focus to destroy the Fal'Cie, Orphan, who had more or less functioned as a battery, serving as the source of Cocoon's energy, and that this could only be achieved with Ragnarok's power. What they did not anticipate was that Orphan had wanted to die all along, and would not stop torturing humanity and taking new l'Cie until that goal was achieved. In the end they had no choice but to slay Orphan, which as expected, abruptly cut Cocoon's power, sending the planet downward toward Pulse.

Their manufactured world should have ended then and there along with millions of lives, but during the fall Vanille and Fang had sacrificed themselves and taken the form of Ragnarok. Using its power, they were able stop Cocoon from crashing into Pulse by encasing the floating planet within in a crystal shell, suspended in mid-air by a pillar attached to the world below. Their courageous and selfless act had succeeded in saving millions of innocent lives, but at a high personal cost: Vanille and Fang had chosen to remain crystallized, trapped inside the crystal stem in order to protect both of the worlds from destruction.

Lightning, Snow, Hope and Sazh, having completed their demolition focus, had also been crystallized. It had only been the goddess, Etro's, sympathy to their cause and miraculous gift that had allowed them all, with the exception of Vanille and Fang, to return from crystal stasis. When they awoke from their stasis, their brands had been wiped away and a new life awaited them. Etro had given them their lives and their freedom back..or so Lightning had thought.

When Lightning had woken up from her brief period of crystal stasis, the only thing that she could recall feeling was cold and alone..as if she had been trapped in the frozen darkness for what felt like days. It was something that she had never wanted to go through again. This had definitely not been what she had come to expect of the experience, and she had been ripped from her world and thrust into Valhalla to fight a war so quickly that she'd never had the opportunity to compare experiences with the others. The legends, however, had always led her to believe that crystallization was supposed to feel warm, comfortable and full of endless dreams..a reward for completing a challenging focus. Her only experience to pull from had felt the exact opposite, so naturally, she was quite anxious to be readily accepting that fate again so soon..but in her mind, she deserved to feel that way again.

 _Serah..will I ever be able to make this right?_

The pain of her sister's death weighed heavy in her heart. Although Serah would have never admitted it, her fate had been in Lightning's hands all along. It was after all, Lightning, that had sent her on her quest to fix the paradoxes within the broken timeline, and that task had ultimately claimed her young life. Lightning had no way of knowing it at the time, but Serah had been gifted with the power of Etro. She had possessed the ability to see into the future, but it had come with a price. With each paradox she resolved at Lightning's command, Serah was forced to witness a new future. Each new premonition took its toll on her body and her precious life was rapidly drained away.

"No matter what future is waiting for us, I'll have no regrets. No matter what end we see coming, I won't change my mind," her sister had resolved.

 _Oh, Serah. Did you really foresee this outcome? Did you really know that all of this would happen all along? Couldn't you see that our efforts were in vain? That there was no way that I could defeat Caius without killing the goddess myself? That there was no way for you to truly fix the broken timeline..and that trying would ultimately kill you? This is all my fault. It was my decision to send you on that pointless journey..and now..you're gone..the goddess is gone..and the chaos is unstoppable. Unchecked, it will eventually consume this world and everyone in it. This is the beginning of the end. Serah, there is no way to fix what I've done, but I can promise you one thing: your memory will be the very last thing to vanish from this world. I will take you into the crystal with me, and together, we will await the end of time. I'll never forget..that was my promise, and I'll never let it go._

Taking her last breath, Lightning felt the warmth finally invade her mind, spreading like wildfire, while seizing her thoughts and shutting her body down. In the drowsy haze of semi-consciousness, she began to feel as if she were floating, slowly spiraling upward. Somehow, the sensation felt odd to her. The feeling of falling asleep was all too familiar, but somehow, this felt different. She knew that feeling "detached" was a normal part of falling asleep, but this time it felt as if she were literally separating from her body..as if she were caught in an invisible cyclone that was pulling her upward, away from the crystallized statue that remained seated on Etro's throne.

She had no idea where she was going, but she was all too happy at the prospect of leaving this cursed place behind. She was no longer sitting on Etro's throne, or wearing that ridiculously heavy armor, and for the first time in a long time, she felt light and free. As she levitated higher, it felt as if all of her pain and sorrow were slowly being shed and left behind. She could feel the timeless realm of Valhalla rapidly fading from around her and all of her memories from her time in the cursed city seemed to be disappearing as well. Every memory she tried to recall seemed fuzzy and blurred together until none of them made sense anymore. Soon, she couldn't even recall why she had been in Valhalla in the first place, or what she and Caius had been fighting over in their seemingly never-ending battle. The place and all of its memories no longer seemed real to her as they were slowly erased from her mind. In fact, the only thing that felt real anymore was Serah.

 _Serah._

Uncertainty kicked in when she realized she could no longer feel the aching void in her heart that Serah had left behind. All of the pain, guilt and responsibility for Serah's death had somehow been absolved, almost as if it had never happened in the first place. The feelings left her confused. Maybe none of it had been real? Maybe it had all been a dream..some sick twisted dream? Struggling to find the truth, Lightning was relieved when the last memory of Serah that she could properly recall was the events directly following the battle in Eden and the fall of Cocoon. The memory of six comrades standing under the crystallized planet jumped to the forefront of her mind, followed by the image of her sister approaching her. She could feel the warmth of Serah's embrace, and the words spoken between them echoed through her mind:

"Serah, I'm sorry."

"It's ok."

Her sister had forgiven her. This was a reality that she was all too willing to accept. Serah was here, and she was okay. They were together once again and given a second chance at happiness. Fate had saw fit to reunite them, and now nothing was going to stand between them ever again. She wouldn't make the same mistakes a second time..she was going to dedicate every second of her life to being the sister that Serah deserved. She would never let her down again. That, she could promise.

 _This is reality. I've been dreaming all along._

* * *

 **A/N: This is my very first fanfic..ever! Please be nice!**

 **Chapter 1 is already available, and chapter 2 is on the way. I am still getting used to the website, so please bear with me if I make any mistakes. Thanks for reading! R &R please!  
**

 **-Lady A**


	2. Chapter 1: 06

Chapter 01

06

* * *

The sound of lapping waves and the smell of salt slowly brought Lightning into consciousness. She could feel the strong rays of the sun beating down on her body, while a soft breeze gently caressed her skin. Even with the constant breeze, she was uncomfortably hot. She could feel the sweat trickling down her skin and pooling under her body where she lay flat on her stomach.

Her position on the ground struck her as odd. Without opening her eyes, it was easy to deduce that she was on a beach..but where? The last beach that she had seen had been in her hometown of Bodhum..but Bodhum was gone..destroyed when Cocoon fell. In fact, the only beaches that she knew of period had been destroyed along with Cocoon. Surely oceans must exist somewhere on Pulse, but as far as she knew, none had been discovered yet. During their short time on the planet as l'Cie, she and her friends had barely even scratched the surface in terms of its geography. No one knew exactly what else was out there.

Suddenly she was gripped with nausea as her stomach violently came to life, pushing its contents to the top of her throat. Her eyes were met with blinding white light as they shot open in panic. She was going to be sick. She quickly raised onto her hands and knees and in a coughing frenzy, emptied the contents of her stomach onto the sand.

 _Salt water._

Lightning pushed herself backward onto her bottom and scooted away from her mess, resting her head between her knees and closing her eyes once again. The brightness was nearly too much. Her eyes felt as though they were burning in their sockets, and the pain seemed to radiate throughout her head. Her stomach was still a bit unsettled, but the worst seemed to be over. Taking deep breaths, she willed her body to stop trembling.

 _Deep breath in..deep breath out.._

Finally composing herself, she looked up from where she sat and took in her surroundings for the first time. She was definitely not in Bodhum, or anywhere that she recognized for that matter. The area was not a welcoming sight by any means. The desolate beach where she currently sat was covered in dark brown sand and littered with debris that had washed ashore. It looked as though no one has been here in years. Looking inland, she was shocked to see that the area was dark, dreary, and appeared to be withering away. She had never seen such a place on Cocoon, or on Pulse.

Quickly, she snapped her head toward the sky searching for some indication of her location. There was no sign of Cocoon's outer shell, or the Fal'Cie Phoenix, but rather the light appeared to be coming from the sun, Pulse's light source. The conclusion was simple. There was no other explanation: She had to be on Pulse. Searching through the skies, her heart sank when she realized that Cocoon was nowhere to be seen.

 _Where the hell am I?_

Slowly rising to her feet, she dusted the sand from her body, inspecting for anything out of the ordinary. She was wearing her usual attire: her Guardian Corps uniform with her Blazefire Saber safely holstered behind her. Aside from the stubborn sand that didn't seem to want to separate from her body, and the nagging headache and feelings of nausea and fatigue that she could only attribute to ingesting sea water and baking in the sun all day, nothing really seemed to be amiss. There were no wounds or substantial soreness. That was a good thing, at least.

Looking to the sky once more, Lightning tried to summon the knowledge that she had acquired from her short time on Pulse of the world's rotation around its sun. Fang had once told her that the sun always rises in the east, and sets in the west. From what she could gather from the sun's position, she concluded that nightfall would be approaching relatively soon..maybe 2-3 hours tops. Her military training began to kick in and she realized that she needed a plan, and quick.

The first step was to get off this godforsaken beach and find some type of shelter. The terrain was unfamiliar, and who knows what type of wildlife could be lurking in the shadows. The sun would soon be setting west over the water behind her, and the filthy brown sand ran as far as her eyes could see both north and south, so the only feasible option was to travel inland to the east and hope that she could find some food, clean water, and somewhere to settle in for the night.

Putting the sun to her back, Lightning began walking inland. As she made her way off the beach and into the dying wasteland, she tried to remember the events that had landed her in this situation. The last legitimate memory that she could properly recall was standing on Pulse after she and her friends defeated Orphan. Cocoon had begun its descent and Vanille and Fang had sacrificed themselves to save an entire population from imminent death. The last she recalled, the world of Cocoon bad been suspended above the world of Pulse, encased in a crystal shell.

She could still visualize Serah and Dahj walking toward them from Cocoon's stem, finally released from their crystal tombs. Out of excitement, Snow had nearly tackled his soon to be wife, and Sazh wept tears of happiness during his reunion with his son. Hope, however, had remained by her side. The boy had lost so much throughout their journey: his mother had perished during the purge, his father presumably in the fall of Cocoon, and now Vanille and Fang.

As unlikely as it would seem, the six of them had become a family during their journey. Lightning: the stubborn lone wolf soldier. Snow: the self-proclaimed hero, and her sister's fiancé. Sazh: the wise father figure of the group. Fang: the headstrong and fearless Pulsian. Vanille: the caring and upbeat Pulsian. And finally, Hope: Lightning's adopted little brother and protégé.

Lightning didn't want to imagine what her sudden disappearance might be doing to the vulnerable young boy. She had, after all, been his rock throughout their entire journey as l'Cie. She had protected him both physically and mentally for so long; the boy had practically become her little brother over the course of their journey. She was his mentor and rock, and he had somehow managed to wiggle his way into her heart to reside next to Serah.

 _Serah._

Summoning her last reliable memories, she recalled Serah's approach under the base of Cocoon, and the embrace they shared.

"Serah, I'm sorry," she had managed to choke out.

"It's ok," her sister assured.

But that's where the memory ended. As hard as she tried, she could not seem to fight past the fog that surrounded the end of that particular memory. The subsequent events were gone, and all she seemed to be left with was a blank page. She knew that she was missing something important; she could feel it in her gut. The memories were no longer there, and it made her head throb painfully to try and recall them. Everything following that moment had been erased, and now here she was.

She had lost track of how long she had been walking. She had been aimlessly roaming for what seemed like hours, and the sun was now beginning to sink below the horizon behind her. While losing her light source wasn't ideal by any means, she was happy to finally have a break from the blistering heat and even welcomed the rapid plunge in temperature that seemed to accompany nightfall.

An angry growl from her stomach immediately jerked her from her thoughts. Food would have been a welcomed treat, but she had long given up on finding any type of edible wildlife in this barren wasteland. In fact, she had not seen one living soul since she had woken up, and the only thing this wasteland seemed to offer was blackened dirt. Cursing under her breath, she mentally scolded herself for not sticking to the coastline, and leaving behind the only potential source of food for miles. If she hadn't felt so sick, she would have thought to fish before she had left the beach. She had no idea when her last meal had been, or when she had consumed anything other than salt water. The reality of the situation weighed down on her like a ton of bricks. Her walk through the wasteland in the scorching sun had taken its toll on her body and her meager energy reserves were quickly draining under the stress of hunger and dehydration. Finding food and a clean water source was paramount.

Lightning let out an audible groan when her chosen route began to slope upward. Her weak limbs protested under the strain of the climb, adding yet another reminder of her dire need for food and water. Letting out a defeated sigh of exhaustion as she reached the top, she allowed herself to collapse onto the ground while attempting to steady her heavy, irregular breathing.

 _What a way to go_ , she thought bitterly. _Death by dehydration..not exactly the blaze of glory that I had always imagined._

Lightning managed to scoot her way over to a nearby boulder and begrudgingly allowed her body to rest upon its cool surface. Moving forward was the only sensible option. Naturally, nothing could be achieved by just sitting in the middle of nowhere, leaning against a giant rock. However, her body and her brain seemed to be on different pages entirely when it came to logic. She had traveled miles through the wasteland and now her body ached beneath her, begging for nourishment and rest.

 _Just five minutes,_ she negotiated with herself, as she closed her eyes and allowed the fatigue to claim her.

The cold chill of the night wind and the pain of her Blazefire Saber digging into the back of her thighs finally brought Lightning back into consciousness. She mentally cursed herself as she opened her eyes to a completely darkened sky speckled with stars. The sun had completely vanished under the horizon, and she could only guess that the 'five minutes' that she had allowed herself to take had turned into a couple of hours. Her legs painfully objected as she brought herself to a shaky standing position. She rubbed her eyes and began to resurvey her surroundings.

The drowsiness hadn't quite receded and her vision remained fuzzy, but the darkness didn't allow her to see very far anyway. Traveling in the dead of night was neither ideal nor wise given unfamiliarity of the area, but she was left with very little choice given her body's rapid deterioration under the stress of hunger and dehydration. There was only one logical solution: keep moving or die.

Ignoring the protests from her body, Lightning resumed her trek through the dark wasteland. Each painful step she took radiated throughout her body and her still lingering headache had begun to pound furiously. It wouldn't be much longer before her body fully succumbed to dehydration, and at this point, death felt inevitable. Her course had once again begun leading her sharply uphill, and she let out a loud sigh of exasperation. This trek through the wasteland appeared to be never-ending.

Just as the thought of giving up crossed her mind, Lightning noticed a faint light glowing beyond the crest of the steep hill. Rubbing her eyes, she prayed to whatever deity that would listen that she was not hallucinating or imagining the light. Her heart leapt into her throat at the prospect of finding civilization, and more importantly, the sustenance she so desperately needed. She felt a whirlwind of emotions as she neared the top of the hill. She was mostly fueled by desperation and anxiety, and relief was there too, but she couldn't help but feel doubtful. She couldn't understand who in their right mind would choose to live out in the middle of all this. Given the surroundings, it didn't seem very practical.

As she reached the top of the hill, she froze in shock. Nothing could have prepared Lightning for the sight before her in the valley. She was now face to face with what appeared to be a large city..in fact, the largest she had ever seen. From her location above, the city appeared to be shaped like a giant circle, split into eight different sections. Each section had a large furnace looking structure that towered over it. She was unsure what exactly these structures could be used for, but they made the city look like a very large energy plant. Above the city, built onto a massive plate, and positioned in the very center, stood a tall building that looked like it easily had between 60-70 floors. The view before her was simply breathtaking, and she couldn't help but admire the city. It was truly unlike anything she had ever seen before.

Lightning clumsily made her way down the side of the hill and followed the path leading toward the city, her anxiety soaring at an all-time high. As she neared the bottom and slowly approached the massive structure, she began to doubt her decision. If the citizens were hostile or attacked, her condition guaranteed that she'd be in no position to defend herself. This was a kind of vulnerability that she hated. But what choice did she have? Stay out here and starve to death? Go back to the beach, assuming that she'd even make it back? There were no other options; this was it.

Stumbling, she looked down and noticed a shiny piece of plastic beneath the rubble. It looked insignificant, but upon inspection, she noticed that some of the words had faded away. The words "keycard", however, had remained etched into the plastic. She didn't understand what it could possibly be used for, but she decided to pocket it anyway. It could possibly come in handy down somewhere the road. As she continued on the path toward the city's entrance, the words printed onto the surface of the door began to come into focus.

 _Midgar, 06._

* * *

 **A/N: And we have arrived at Midgar! I hope you all enjoyed chapter 1. Chapter 2 has already been written..just needs to be edited. Just a reminder that this is my first ever fanfic, so please be nice! R &R!  
**

 **-Lady A**


	3. Chapter 2: Breathe

Chapter 03: Breathe

* * *

As Lightning approached the massive doors, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. From her position in the surrounding hills, she couldn't help but marvel at the city's sheer size, but now that she was standing at its gate, all of the excitement that she had previously felt had quickly transformed into nervousness. The towering city had a way of making her feel small and insignificant, almost as if she were an ant standing next to a giant.

There was nothing in the world that Lightning hated more than feeling weak and powerless, and this place had already seemed to accomplish that. The thought had crossed her mind to leave: to keep moving forward, to go back, to go anywhere but here..but the harsh reality of her situation weighed down on her like a thousand bricks keeping her in check. Like it or not, this is it. There was nowhere else to go. There are no more chances.

Groaning in defeat, she resolved to face her insecurities head on and enter the city. Doing a quick search of the area surrounding of the door, she saw no obvious way to open it. It was easy to conclude that the door was automated, but she was unsure how to make it work. Maybe whoever lived in this city didn't want outsiders venturing in? Maybe the door could only be opened from the inside?

She was about to give up when she noticed a tiny opening in the filthy concrete wall. Crouching down, she wiped the dirt and dust away to discover a pin sized red light next to what appeared to be a locking mechanism of some sort. Her heart leapt when she realized that this could be her way in. But how was she supposed to work it? She assumed that she'd need a key of some sort, but what sort of key would work in a weird opening like this anyway?

 _A key! A Keycard?!_

Fumbling through her thigh pouch, she produced the small red card that she had acquired earlier in the surrounding wasteland. Inspecting the card closer, she realized that it looked sort of like a credit card. Although some of the words had been worn away, the word 'keycard' had remained clearly etched into its surface. On the bottom left corner of the card was a small implanted chip. This card obviously granted access to something, so maybe..just maybe, it could be the key that accessed Midgar. Inserting the card into the slot, she was relieved when the light changed from red to green, and the hum of electricity filled her ears. The doors to the city slowly came to life, separating to reveal the massive city behind.

In her twenty-one years of life, Lightning had never seen anything quite like the inside of this city. If she thought the city on the outside was intimidating, that was nothing in comparison to what awaited her inside. The city was very dirty and run down. All of the small houses and business establishments appeared to have been constructed by scrap pieces of metal, concrete, or really, whatever the people had be able to get ahold of. Many of the homes didn't have actual doors, but rather sheets hanging across their doorways. There were many makeshift tents that littered the neighborhood, and countless starved homeless people were left to sleep on the side of the streets.

Lightning had never seen so much concrete and metal in her life. Everything in this city seemed to be constructed from scraps of it. Looking up, she observed for the first time that even the sky had been replaced with a concrete plate. The sheer amount of metal and concrete seemed to close in on her from all angles. It was everywhere. The walls, the buildings, even the damn ceiling. She couldn't begin to understand why anyone would construct a ceiling made of concrete above an entire city. What if it fell? As soon as realized the outcome of that scenario she was consumed by a terrifying sense of claustrophobia.

 _Breathe, Lightning, Breathe. That's it..deep breaths._

She wanted out, now! The city was uncomfortably cluttered, and the air reeked of pollution. It was astounding that anyone could survive in this place. The living conditions were one thing, but the atmosphere was another. The air smelled downright toxic to inhale and the structure of the city seemed to contain it all inside. It was hard to imagine what this place could possibly be doing to produce such toxins, but it was easy to assume that it had something to do with those eight furnace looking structures she had seen from the outside. What was even harder to imagine was what could possibly be worth releasing all of that pollution into the air. Couldn't these people understand that this was unhealthy?

Metal, concrete and pollution. That's all that Midgar seemed to be made of. Lightning had been to some bad places in her lifetime: The Vile Peaks, the Ark in Eden, the Mah'habara Subterra, Tajins Tower..just to name a few, but none of those places came close to being as horrible as Midgar. As bad as some of those places were, at least she could breathe, and didn't have to worry about a gigantic concrete plate falling and crushing her to death. She also didn't have to witness an entire population of people slowly starve to death.

Lightning had to wonder just what kind of place this was. Clearly whoever was running the show didn't care very much about the citizens that lived here..that much was obvious. She couldn't fathom how any decent person could sentence human beings to live like this. But, then again, the Fal'Cie that had been running Cocoon hadn't cared about its inhabitants either. They had only cared and nurtured them in order to sacrifice them. Is this what life is like without the Fal'Cie around to provide for humanity's every want and need? Would this ultimately be the fate of those who had survived the fall and been left to build a new life on Pulse? Had her efforts to save them only condemned them to a life of poverty and starvation?

 _Did we save them from a great sacrifice only for them to die a slow painful death?_

Lightning had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that she had left what she assumed was a residential district and was now standing below a large metal sign that hung at the entrance to what appeared to be a commercial district. The words on the sign served only as affirmation.

 _Wall Market, South._

In appearance, Wall Market was constructed no differently than the neighborhood she had just passed through. All of the shops were made out of the same scrap metal, concrete, or in a few cases, cloth. The only real difference between this district and the one that she had just passed through was the fact that this one was bustling. Even in the dead of night, there was a steady stream of patrons making their way from one establishment to the next. From the looks of it, this part of town never slept. Under closer observation, Lightning noted that there was an inn, an item shop, a weapon shop, a clothing store, a gym, and a restaurant centrally located in the main square.

She had almost forgotten all about her hunger until she passed the restaurant and was overtaken by the delicious combination of smells coming from the place. She dug around in her pocket and pulled out what little gil had remained to her name. 10 gil. 10 gil wouldn't even buy her soda back home, let alone a full meal from a restaurant. And, who's to say that this strange place would take her gil anyway. Cocoons currency would more than likely be worthless here. Maybe she could talk with the proprietor and work out some sort of deal in which she could work in exchange for a meal? Either way, she had to do something before she collapsed from hunger and dehydration.

Stepping into the restaurant, she noticed that it was very plain in appearance. The building was rectangular shaped and split completely down the middle by a very large bar. On one side was a grill, a stovetop, a sink and a cook and a waitress. On the other side was a row of occupied stools. The atmosphere was light and chatty, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

"Have a seat, honey and I'll be with you in a minute!" the brown haired waitress called from behind the bar.

Doing as instructed, Lightning made her way down the bar and claimed the only available seat between a muscular looking man with dark brown slicked back hair and a smaller woman with lighter brown hair that was pulled loosely back into a pony tail.

"Rough day?" The woman beside her asked, turning to face her.

"I guess you could say that," Lightning sighed tiredly in response.

"You look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders," the woman observed.

"Hmm," Lightning hummed in agreement.

"First time to Midgar?"

"How could you tell?" This response seemed to amuse the woman.

"Well..you kind of look shell-shocked," the woman laughed, "like you're just taking everything in for the first time."

"Well..this place is a little much." Lightning admitted bitterly. She didn't think any of it was very funny.

"You'll get used to it," the woman assured. "So what brings you here? Are you looking for work?" She was clearly trying to keep the conversation going.

Not wanting to disclose the true nature of her situation to the woman, she just nodded in response. This place seemed so different than Cocoon. Hell, there was no guarantee that these people had even heard of Cocoon before. Everything in this strange place screamed man-made, and it was clear that Fal'Cie influence was non-existent here. This strange woman would probably think she was crazy if she started talking about demi-gods and floating planets. She briefly entertained the idea of recounting her experience, but the idea of telling this woman the truth behind how she ended up in Midgar seemed absurd.

 _Gee. If you really want to know..I come from a floating world called Cocoon. I killed a demigod with daddy issues that was trying to kill the entire human population. Two of my friends turned into a big dragon to stop our floating home from crashing into the world below, and somehow I must have hit my head, got lost..or something, because I can't remember what happened afterward. The next thing I know, I'm waking up starved and dehydrated on a random beach about fifteen miles west of here, and since I had nowhere else better to go..I figured that I might as well come to the most depressing and poverty stricken city to ever exist._

Even in her head, her story sounded ludicrous! It was best to keep the truth to herself, at least until she was able to determine where she really was or what was going on. She resolved to not mention Cocoon, Fal'Cie, l'Cie, or anything for that matter until she could determine how much these people knew about the subjects. If this society was truly oblivious to her world, it would only flag her for more unwanted attention.

 _Don't mention anything!_

"So..uh..are you a soldier?" the woman inquired, pointing to Lightning's Guardian Corps uniform.

 _Shit! Damn this uniform._

"Yeah..well, I was..but I quit." Lightning answered.

 _Hopefully she won't press..Please don't press._

"That's what I thought, but I've never seen a uniform like that before. So..why did you quit? Did you come here to work for Shinra?"

"No," Lightning answered curtly.

 _What the hell is Shinra?_

"Phew, that's good! Those guys-"

"Can I take your order, sweetheart?" the waitress cut in.

Saved! Lightning was flooded with relief by the waitress's interruption. This stranger was starting to ask dangerous questions. Maybe in the time it took her to talk to the waitress, the woman would forget what they had been talking about. Or if the waitress refused Lightning's offer to work, she could take the opportunity to run for it before the woman had the chance to ask any more questions. She had never been a good liar, and telling the truth was simply out of the question. Leaving hungry was not ideal by any means, but she'd rather starve than have someone question her sanity by telling them some farfetched story..even if that story was true.

"Um..well.." Lightning was unsure what exactly to say. Obviously, this conversation wasn't going to be any easier. She had never been in this type of situation before. Thanks to the Fal'Cie, most of the food had been free on Cocoon.

 _Might as well just tell the truth._

"I actually don't have any way to pay. I was wondering if I could work, or something, in exchange for a meal and a glass of water?" she sked hopefully.

"Oh.." the waitresses face dropped, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, it doesn't work like that around here. If you want food, you have to have gil…"

 _Gil! I have gil! Not very much, but maybe the gil used here is the same as the gil we use on Cocoon?_

"..Ya know, if it were up to me, I'd feed everyone in the slums," the waitress continued, "but I'm sorry to say that the boss doesn't feel the same way. He'd fire me on the spot if he found out I was just giving food away.."

"Would this work?" Lightning interrupted as she produced the Cocoon currency from her pouch.

The waitress took her gil with a puzzled look, turning it over in her hand.

"What kind of gil is this?" the waitress was clearly intrigued. "I've seen gil from all over Gaia come through these doors, but I've never seen anything like this. As interesting as it is, I'm afraid that I can't accept it. The boss would kill me, ya know."

 _Gaia?_

"It's ok," Lightning assured her, while hastily retrieving her gil and stashing it back in her pouch. "No worries."

 _I should probably get out of here before I raise even more questions._

She had got up from her seat and begun make her way toward the exit, when someone firmly grabbed her arm from behind, halting her. It was probably that girl again. Turning around, her mouth dropped when she realized that it was not the girl that had hold of her arm, but rather the man that had sat on her other side at the bar. He was wearing a tight green shirt and smooth white pants, and his dark brown hair was oiled and slicked back. He wore a cocky grin and had a mischievous look in his brown eyes. This man seemed like trouble.

"Hey..I hear you're looking for work?" he asked coolly, running his free hand through his hair, "Ya know..I jus' happen to know a guy that can take care of you."

"Oh really? And who is that?" Lightning hissed back. She didn't like this man, or the commanding hold he had on her arm.

"Have you heard of 'The Don'?" he asked, leaning uncomfortably close to her. His breath reeked of tobacco. "He takes real good care of his girls. A rare beauty like you..oh he'd take good care of you alright. He'd give you a nice place to stay, nice clothes, and food..anything you could possibly want."

She'd heard enough. Did this lowlife really think that she was dumb or desperate enough to buy into that crap? It was clear that this "Don" character was a pimp, and this guy was just another one of his flunkies.

"No thank you," she answered sharply, trying to wiggle her arm free from his grasp.

"Come on now, baby.." he pleaded softly. He was so close now that she could feel his hot breath on the side of her neck, sending unpleasant shivers down her spine. "You'll like it, I swear."

"Get off me!" she roared, still trying unsuccessfully to prize her arm away from the man.

The man refused to take no for an answer and had begun pulling her towards the entrance. She struggled against his hold, but he only tightened his grip and continued to pull her along. As she reached behind her in attempt to retrieve her weapon, she was once again shocked as her free arm was caught in someone else's grip and she was ripped backward with a force that she hadn't anticipated. Regaining her balance, she turned to face the brown haired woman from before.

 _She's strong._

"Get lost, creep! She said she's not interested!" the mysterious woman shrieked.

"Back off, lady. This is between me and her, so if you know what's good for you, you'll mind your own damn business!" the man fired back. "That is..unless you want to go too. I can arrange that. The Don's always looking for new, fresh girls. You aren't half bad looking yourself."

"Like hell either of us are going anywhere with you," the woman answered before delivering a swift kick to the man's groin, immediately doubling him over in pain. "Now get out of here before I chop them off!"

"This isn't over!" He coughed before collecting himself and hastily making his way through the exit.

"Sorry about that," the woman apologized turning to face Lightning and inspecting her arm. "I should have warned you earlier. Creeps like that are lurking all over this sector."

"Thanks," Lightning mumbled pulling her arm back, "but I could've handled that myself."

"I'm sure you could have," the woman agreed. "You look like you could hold your own in a fight. Sorry for ruining your fun, I just really hate those guys. I guess I just kind of lost it when I saw him bothering you."

"Thanks..I guess. So, who was he anyway?" Lightning inquired.

"A local pimp and Shinra employee by the name of Don Corneo runs the show here in Sector 6. That guy was one of his stooges. They're always around recruiting or kidnapping girls for that sleaze. He lives in the northern section of Wall Market and owns a "comfort" house in the east. You don't seem like that type of girl, so I'd advise you to stay far away from those areas. You look like a pretty tough cookie, and those creeps usually aren't much of a threat when they're alone, but get a few of them together..and well..let's just say that next time things might be a little messier. That guy knows your face, and those persistent little bastards can't take no for an answer. He'll be back."

"I'm sure he will," Lightning muttered. She had begun to involuntarily tremble, and she was unsure if this shakiness was a consequence of being undernourished, or because she was truly afraid of this place. She felt silly admitting that it could possibly be the latter, because Lightning Farron wasn't afraid of anything..or so she thought. But really, what wasn't there to be afraid of in this place? This whole city seemed like something straight out of a horror story.

The woman had seemed to take notice of her demeanor, and thankfully, decided to change the subject.

"Say..how about we get you something to eat? My treat, of course! And then you can crash at my place..if you want," she offered.

She was taken back by this strange woman's generosity. Lightning was a complete stranger to this woman, and yet, she was offering to feed her and provide her with a place to rest. Maybe some of the people here aren't that bad after all.

"I couldn't," Lightning responded, "Thanks for the concern, but I'll be alright on my own. I'll figure something out."

 _Yeah, right._ She couldn't even convince herself that was true. This woman could see right through her.

"Oh, come on!" She insisted. "Everyone needs a little help sometimes. Let's get you something to eat and drink, and then you can crash at my place for however long you need to. I live in Sector 7, by the way. It's not much different than this sector, but Don Corneo's creeps aren't slithering around in the shadows."

As crazy as it was, Lightning couldn't help but trust this woman. Sure, she had only just met her, but she seemed to be a good person with a pure heart, and Lightning needed a friend in this place. She needed someone to have her back and show her the ropes. As much as she wanted to go it alone, she understood that that would not be an option in this place. Sometimes you have to put your trust and reliance in others if you want to survive. Hope had taught her that not so long ago.

"Okay," Lightning finally agreed. "My name's Lightning, by the way."

"I'm Jessie," the woman smiled, "Welcome to Midgar."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Lightning has finally met her first person in Midgar..Bet you weren't expecting it to be Jessie! One thing that I hated about the original FFVII was how little we really knew about the members of Avalanche. I really hope that the remake gives them a little more attention. (Speaking of..people are speculating that it will be out sometime in 2017! It makes sense with it being the 20 year anniversary. I can't wait. Seriously..I will disappear for like a year once it comes out lol!)**

 **This chapter was really easy to write. I really struggled with the prologue and chapter 1. The first chapter is always the hardest, and adding a prologue is like writing two 'first chapters' back to back. I probably rewrote them a dozen times, no joke. Things should be much easier from here on out. I'm sure everyone can guess where I'm going with the story. My plan is to follow VII's plot as close as possible with Light being added to the mix, but there will be a few twists, of course. I'm really excited to be writing this story and I am looking forward to having the chance to play the game again! I have played through it many times, but probably not as many as a lot of you..so please let me know if I royally mess anything up.**

 **I just wanted to remind everyone that this is my very first fanfic, and my writing is very rusty. So, with that being said, please do not make me cry with horrible reviews and please be forgiving if I make any mistakes while posting..I'm still trying to get used to the website. If you like what you see, please review! I'd love to know what you think or at least if I'm doing things right or not! The story has been up for less than a day now. There haven't been very many views at all, but I have 1 follower and 1 favorite..sadly, no reviews. I guess that means that my story doesn't suck as badly as I thought it would. So yeah, shout out to that one person who made me feel a little better about myself! Haha! ;-)**

 **As always, thanks so much for reading. I really hope you all enjoyed chapter 2. Chapter 3 is currently in the works. If you have any suggestions or things you'd like to see, please shoot me a review or a PM. I'm always open to suggestions, and I'd love to see what you all have in mind!**

 **-Lady A**


	4. Chapter 3: Sanity

Chapter 03: Sanity

* * *

Chapter 03: Sanity

Lightning's senses were bombarded with reality as she awoke with a start. The overwhelming smell of coffee invaded her nostrils and the sound of a television blared somewhere nearby. Her sweaty skin itched beneath the wool blanket that was draped over her, and she must have rolled over onto her gunblade at some point while she had slept because it now dug painfully into her side. Even with all of the sensations competing for her attention, she continued to lay motionless on the couch, refusing to open her eyes. She wasn't quite ready to face her day yet, and she wouldn't be until she was able to shake the peculiar dream that she had woken up from.

In her dream, she had worn an immaculate suit of Valkyrie armor with a feathered plume that trailed down her left leg. She had been fighting in a large abandoned city unlike anything she had ever seen before. Her opponent had been a strange man with long purple hair who wielded a ridiculously large sword. She had no idea who this man was or why they had been fighting, all she knew was that whatever they had been fighting over had been very important. The vividness of the dream had made it feel so real, even more so than her current reality. It took her a few moments to fully come to her senses before the events of the previous night came flooding back like a tidal wave and she was finally able to register where she truly was.

 _Midgar._

She had decided to take Jessie up on her offer to crash at her place while she came up with a game plan of what to do or where to go next. She hadn't been very keen on the idea of sharing space with a complete stranger, but it was much better than the alternative of living on the streets while she figured things out. If she were in any other city, she might have taken her chances, but Midgar was not any other city. It was dangerous, and if she didn't have a plan going forward she risked starving on the streets, or worse.

Lightning slowly sat up on the couch she had slept on the previous night and rubbed the fog from her eyes. She had been so out of it the previous night that she couldn't recall much from the walk to Sector 7, or her arrival at Jessie's place for that matter. Looking around, she was able to properly take in Jessie's small residence for the first time. It was as run down and shabby on the inside as everything was on the outside. The house consisted of only one room that was sectioned off into smaller living spaces. One section of the room had a bed and a dresser, which she assumed was where Jessie normally slept. In the same section, there was a small closet in the corner that contained a toilet and a standing shower. Another section of the house contained a stove, a tiny refrigerator, and a small section of cabinetry. Finally the section that she was in contained a small television, a coffee table and the very old brown couch that she was presently using as a bed. Jessie was currently in the kitchen, sipping coffee from an orange cracked mug. She was dressed in the same long sleeved blue turtle neck and khaki capris that she had worn the previous night, and was staring intently at the television that was sitting on the small table close to where Lightning sat. She remained focused on the screen for several minutes before she finally noticed that Lightning had woken up.

"Mornin' Sunshine!" Jessie beamed. She was certainly in a good mood this morning. The way that Jessie had greeted her almost reminded her of Serah. Her sister had always been a morning person too. That was one trait that the two of them did not have in common; Lightning was usually pretty grumpy until she had her morning coffee.

"Morning," Lightning yawned tiredly, while readjusting her disheveled clothing and running a hand through her unruly pink locks. "What time is it? How long was I out?"

"It's nearly 11," Jessie replied while getting up and making her way to the coffee pot. "You've been asleep for about twelve hours. I didn't want to wake you. You seemed pretty out of it," she continued as she retrieved a second mug and filled it with hot coffee, and then made her way to where Lightning sat on the couch and offered the blue mug. "Care for some?"

"Sure," Lightning answered gratefully taking the cup and carefully sipping the hot liquid, trying not to scrunch her face at the bitter taste. The coffee tasted horrible. It was possibly the worst she'd ever had in her entire life. Even the cheap stuff at the Guardian Corps building had tasted better than this, but she wasn't about to hurt Jessie's feelings by telling her that. This is was Midgar, after all, and after what she had seen last night, she was surprised that there were any luxuries at all.

"Sorry, it's black," Jessie apologized, clearly taking note of Lightning's reaction. "Sugar and cream are a rare commodity here in the slums."

"It's ok," Lightning assured, taking another sip while forcing her face to remain neutral. "I actually prefer it black. It's pretty hot..burned my tongue." Well, half of that statement was true: She actually did prefer her coffee black. In her opinion, sugar and cream ruined the taste, but this time, she would have gladly drowned her coffee in the stuff.

"That's good, I guess. At least one thing about Midgar seems to be working in your favor," Jessie replied, plopping down on the couch next to Lightning. Jessie had returned her attention to the small television, which seemed to be programmed on Midgar's news station. The reporter was currently covering a story on a group called AVALANCHE. Lightning tried her best to follow the story, but since she was not familiar with Midgar, it didn't make very much sense to her. The two sat in silence for several minutes before Jessie finally turned to her and casually asked, "So..your hair..do you dye it?"

"Huh?" Lightning answered stupidly turning away from the television. The question had completely caught her off guard and she was unsure why Jessie would ask her such a weird question. Pink hair was actually not that uncommon.

"Your hair..it's really pink," Jessie observed, reaching her right hand forward to grab a few strands of Lightning's hair to inspect them. "I noticed it last night at the restaurant, but I wasn't sure if that was the real color, or if the lighting was just playing tricks on me..but no, your hair is actually pink."

"Well, I don't dye it," Lightning answered flatly, pulling her hair away from Jessie's fingers. This conversation was getting weird.

"It's just..odd. I've never met someone with pink hair before," Jessie chuckled. "So..where are you from anyway?"

 _Great..Here we go with the questions again. That didn't take long at all._

"It's a long story," Lightning muttered. Jessie would surely think she was out of her mind if she told her the truth, but part of her just wanted to go ahead and get it all off of her chest. At least everything would be out in the open, and the sooner that it was out, the sooner she could find a way back to Cocoon and to her family.

"I've got time," Jessie assured as she leaned back onto the couch making herself comfortable. She obviously wasn't going to allow Lightning any more evasions. She wanted answers.

"Right..You'd probably think I was crazy if I told you," Lightning responded.

"Try me," Jessie chuckled. "I'd like to think that I'm pretty open minded."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Lightning stared long and hard at Jessie, trying to decide whether or not to trust her with the truth. So far, Jessie hadn't given her a reason to not trust her, hell, the woman had practically saved her life the night before. Maybe putting her trust in Jessie could somehow be beneficial in finding her way home. She didn't want to lie to her new friend and she needed whatever information that Jessie had to offer in regards this strange new place she had found herself in.

"Fine," Lightning relented. "How 'bout we trade: My information for yours. You want to know about my home and I want to know about yours." Surely that would be a fair exchange.

"That sounds reasonable," Jessie smirked. "My previous question still stands."

"Fine..I'm from Cocoon," Lightning stated firmly. "Have you ever heard of it? I'm sort of lost and I'm trying to find my way back."

"Cocoon? No, I can't say that I have," Jessie answered scratching her head thoughtfully. "Is that a new town, or something? Where is it located?"

"I'm not really sure," Lightning admitted. "This is only my second time on Pulse, so I'm not very familiar with the geography. I woke up on the beach west of here yesterday and I can't remember how I got there."

Jessie sat in silence. She seemed to be lost for words, but her scrutinizing gaze was burning a hole through Lightning's face. After a few moments she finally got up and made her way back to the kitchen, dropping her coffee mug into the sink. She opened a drawer on the adjoining cabinets and began rummaging around, finally producing a piece of discolored paper. Returning to the couch with the parchment, she unfolded it and smoothed it out on the coffee table in front of them.

 _A map!_

"This is a map of **Gaia** ," Jessie began, putting a heavy emphasis the word 'Gaia'. "World maps are pretty rare now days. This one belonged to my father. He used to work for Shinra. He traveled around the world helping them build the mako reactors..but..he was killed in an accident during the construction of the one on Mt. Corel."

 _What the hell is a 'mako reactor'?_

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lightning apologized quickly to hide her confusion before reaching for the map. "Mind if I take a look at that?" She was very curious to see this map. Jessie had referred to the world as Gaia, and she had heard the word used by the waitress the previous night as well. Did that mean that Pulse wasn't the real name of this planet? Was Pulse just a name that the people of Cocoon had come up with? No..that couldn't be right. Vanille and Fang had also called it Pulse, and they had lived here. Was it possible that the world could have multiple names? Maybe the planet was called something different in each region? Pulse was a large planet, after all.

"Sure," Jessie sat back allowing Lightning adequate room to inspect the map.

Sure enough the word 'Gaia' was clearly printed on the top of the parchment. The world of Gaia was divided up into five continents, and each continent had several cities or towns clearly noted on the map. Locating Midgar with her finger, she traced the path west to find the coastline she had washed up on. Surely Cocoon had to be somewhere in that vicinity, right? If she has washed ashore, she must have come from somewhere relatively close. Inspecting the nearest landmasses around the Midgar area, her heart sank when she did not spot anything recognizable, instead her eyes met the names of cities called Junon and Costa del Sol. Further expanding her search to the other continents, she noted places such as Corel, Nibelheim, Rocket Town, Gongaga, Wutai, the Icicle Inn and Mideel. She did not recognize a single thing on this map. Everything was completely unfamiliar.

Sighing in frustration, she pushed the map away. It had to be incomplete, it just had to be. According to this old piece of paper, the place that she had called home for twenty-one years didn't exist. She hadn't even be able to locate any of the Pulsian regions that she had traveled through on her last visit to the planet. It was almost as if it this world wasn't Pulse at all.

"Jessie, is this map complete?" She asked hopefully.

 _Please say no._

"Yes," Jessie replied definitively, still observing Lightning's every move with great interest.

"And you said that this place was called..Gaia?" she asked, retrieving the map again and turning it over to inspect the other side, silently praying that the other half of the world had been on the back. No such luck, the places that she knew just weren't on this map.

"Uh..yeah..that is the name of this planet," Jessie managed to get out between giggles. She was clearly amused at Lightning's ignorance.

"So..you're saying that we're not on Pulse?" Lightning was getting pretty irritated, and she knew that she wasn't doing a very good job hiding her annoyance. Why did Jessie think this was so funny?

Jessie seemed to catch on pretty quickly to Lightning's frustration and had abruptly stopped laughing, and was now staring at her through concerned eyes. The fact that she had stopped laughing at her expense was a welcomed relief, but now Lightning had to wonder if her sanity was being questioned.

"Lightning..did you hit your head, or something?"

 _And there it is..she really does think I'm insane._

Lightning signed in defeat. She was unsure what to even say at this point. Surely anything that came out of her mouth would further incriminate her. Jessie clearly thought she was mad. That much was written all over her face. She had begun staring at Lightning with a sympathetic look in her eyes..almost as if she were a wounded puppy, left to die on the side of the road. Lightning hated that look more than anything in the world. It was that same look that people had constantly given her after her mother had died. It was a look that she had never wanted to be aimed in her direction ever again. Claire Farron might have needed sympathy, but Lightning didn't.

"I-I don't know," She finally admitted. "I told you already..I don't know how I ended up here. The last thing I remember, I was with my sister and our friends, standing under Cocoon. Everything was okay, and then.."

"Have you been exposed to mako?" Jessie interrupted, hastily leaning forward and using her thumb and index finger to widen one of Lightning's eyes in an attempt to inspect it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lightning yelled in shock quickly pulling away. "And..what the hell is mako? I'm not on drugs, if that's what you mean!" She was past the point of frustration. With Jessie, with this place, with everything. It was one thing if Jessie thought she was crazy, but Lightning would not allow her to sit here and accuse her of being on drugs.

"You really don't know?" Jessie asked defensively, backing further away on the couch.

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking." Lightning fired back in annoyance. That had come out colder than she had intended. She needed to calm down. This was spiraling out of control at an alarming rate. Jessie didn't do anything wrong. The only thing she had been guilty of was trying to help, and now Lightning was taking out all of her anger, confusion and frustration on her. It wasn't fair, and she knew it.

Jessie seemed offended by Lightning's sudden hostility, but seemed to give her the benefit of the doubt. Sighing, she straightened herself on the couch and ran a hand through her long brown hair, pausing to tighten the red bandana that separated her bangs from her face. She seemed to be just as lost for words as Lightning was. To say that the silence was deafening was an understatement; Lightning had never felt so uncomfortable in her life. They sat like that for several minutes before Jessie finally conjured the bravery to break the silence first.

"Look, Lightning.." She began turning toward her again, her sympathetic gaze burning through Lightning's face. There that look was again. More than anything, Lightning wanted to tell Jessie off for looking at her like that, but as much as she hated that look, she knew that losing her cool and taking her frustration out on Jessie wasn't going to solve anything. If anything, the only thing it would accomplish was getting her butt kicked back out onto the streets, and facing Midgar alone wasn't something that she was prepared to do just yet.

 _I have to fix this.._

"Call me Light," Lightning replied softly, attempting to diffuse some of the tension, "and..I'm sorry..for snapping at you. This whole situation is just..it's just..I swear I'm not crazy."

"Light.." Jessie began hesitantly, "I don't think you're crazy. I want to help you. Clearly something is going on here. You talk about places called Cocoon and Pulse, and then you act like you've never heard of Gaia, or even mako for that matter. I mean, come on! Everyone knows what mako is-It's not a drug, by the way! If I didn't know any better, I'd say..I-It's almost as if...as if.." She continued staring at Lightning, unable to completely finish her thought. Was she scared to say what was really on her mind?

"As if what?" Lightning asked softly giving her permission to finish the sentence.

"It's almost as if..as if you aren't from this world," Jessie finished carefully.

"Wait..what?" Lightning had been left truly dumbfounded by her statement. Had Jessie really just said that? Was that even a possibility? If she was being honest with herself, the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. The idea seemed absolutely preposterous, but then again, so did the notion of floating continents, demi-gods called Fal'Cie, and all of the other nonsense that comprised Cocoon and Pulse.

"I mean, it makes sense and it explains a lot of things," Jessie continued. "It explains why you have never heard of Gaia or mako-two words that everyone on this planet knows. It explains your weird clothes and why your hair is pink...Pink! No one in this world has naturally pink hair! Light..you really stand out..almost as if you don't belong."

"Right.." Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. As farfetched as the idea seemed to her, she supposed that it could be a possibility. It's not as if she had never been a victim of magic and mumbo jumbo in the past. After all of the stuff that she and her friends had gone through on Cocoon and Pulse, she was in no position to discredit anything as being impossible. She had cast spells, gotten quite proficient at them, actually. She had acquired an eidolon, and had been able to summon Odin on command. Hell, she and her friends had slayed multiple Fal'Cie! If those things had actually happened, then she supposed that anything could be possible. Reflecting on all of the seemingly impossible things that had occurred during her journey as a l'Cie made something such as waking up on a strange planet seem almost trivial.

"I know it seems like a crazy theory, but you have to admit that something weird is going on here," Jessie pressed on, successfully separating Lightning from her thoughts. "Why don't you tell me everything you remember from before you woke up, and please..don't leave anything out. I promise that I won't judge you. I don't think you're crazy and I want to help you, Light, but I can't do that unless I know everything. Tell me your story and then I'll tell you about Gaia, and I promise that I'll do everything I can to help get you home."

"That sounds fair enough," Lightning agreed. "But where do I even begin?" Lightning sat in silence for a few moments trying to determine the best place to start. Deep down, she knew when everything began. The one fateful day that stood out in her mind was the day that everything fell apart.

"Well..I suppose it all started on my twenty-first birthday," She began. Yes, that was the beginning of everything. That was the day that Serah had requested that she take a day off work, and then had surprised her with a party for her birthday. That was also the day that Serah had also dropped two separate bombs on her: The first being that she had been branded a Pulse l'CIe, and the second being that she was going to marry that idiot, Snow. Serah was just full of surprises that day. Lightning hadn't believed the l'Cie story and accused Serah of making it up as an excuse to marry that oaf she had the audacity to call a fiancé. She had lashed out at Serah and had even threatened her. That moment was an all-time low for Lightning, and she hated herself for treating Serah that way.

Lightning spent the next hour recounting her adventures as a l'Cie to Jessie. She had resolved to leave nothing out. Jessie deserved the truth, and she was going to give it to her. She told her about all about the floating paradise of Cocoon, the world of Pulse that Cocoon orbited below, and the Fal'Cie that maintained and provided for them. She relived the painful events that led to her and her friends into being branded l'Cie and enemies of Cocoon, and how they had defied the focus given them and battled against Barthandelous and Orphan in Eden, which led to the fall of Cocoon, and Vanille and Fang's sacrifice.

Lightning had finally reached the end of her story and was awaiting a response. Jessie had listened to her tale in its entirety without saying so much as a word. Lightning wasn't sure what to make of the silence. She could tell that Jessie had been trying throughout her entire story to keep her face as neutral as possible, but she had let it slip a few times and Lightning was able to make out a few distinct expressions ranging from confusion, to sympathy, to horror. It was hard to know exactly what Jessie was thinking. She had to admit, that if she had been on the other side of this conversation, she'd probably think it was all a little crazy too.

"I believe you," Jessie said at last, breaking the silence. Lightning hadn't in a million years expected her story to elicit that response. As ridiculous as her story sounded, she almost didn't believe it herself, so why was Jessie so willing to buy into it?

"Y-You do?" Lightning asked, staring at her in confusion. She was relieved that Jessie didn't think that she was completely nuts, but the fact that she so easily bought into her story was baffling. It was a lot to take in: Another world, demi-god's, magic, mythical creatures..

"I do," Jessie reaffirmed. "You really aren't from Gaia. I swear, at first I thought you were suffering from a concussion or had mako poisoning, or something, but now I know you're telling the truth. These worlds of Cocoon and Pulse really do exist..don't they? Even if you had overdosed on mako, you couldn't just fabricate an entire alternate reality. Plus, the dead giveaway was when you talk about your sister, or that kid, Hope. There's real emotion there..you can't just make that kind of stuff up..not even on mako."

Lightning was relieved that Jessie had believed her story and was even more thankful that she wasn't questioning her sanity. Now that she had shed some of her baggage, the invisible burden was now replaced with a million questions about her new reality. Jessie had promised her answers and she was going to hold her to them. If she was going to be stuck here in this new world, she needed to know as much as she could so she could make her time here as meaningful as possible. Sure, she wanted to go home more than anything, but that seemed unlikely to happen any time soon. She had obviously been sent here for a reason. So first, she needed to figure out what that reason was, and then maybe along the way, she could find a way back home.

Lightning hadn't realized that she had vocalized those thoughts out loud, and gave Jessie a perplexed look when she started giggling. "What's so funny?"

"Well," she began, still laughing. "You said that you wanted to make your time here as meaningful as possible, right? I think I can help you with that, that is, if you're interested. Keep in mind that it won't be easy; it's very dangerous work. It's all for a good cause though, I swear. You're going to need a job if you want to survive here in the slums, and I know just so happen to know a group that would be very interested in hiring someone with your particular talents!"

* * *

 **A/N: Phew..another one down. This one was tough! My brain literally hurts right now. This chapter was mostly dialogue and I hate dialogue with a bloody passion. What do you all think of this chapter? Good, bad, meh? I think my main issue with dialogue is that I'm so introverted in real life that conversations just don't come naturally for me like they do everyone else lol. I really hope that I didn't royally screw this one up.**

 **I know that this was a boring chapter and not a lot happened, but it was necessary to progress the story. What did you all think of the ending? I'm sure we all know which group Jessie is alluding to, so that means that we will be meeting Cloud and co. very, very soon..as in possibly next chapter soon! I'm pretty stoked, no lie.**

 **As always, thank you so much for reading! Please R &R to keep the story alive. Your motivation is what keeps me going! I want to give a quick shout out to Miss Taarna, Okikun and my lovely guest reviewer! Your kind words literally made my day! I hope that I'm living up to your expectations! =)**

 **Thanks again!**

 **-Lady A**


	5. Chapter 4: Not Interested

**A/N: Before we begin, I just want to give a quick shout out to all my reviewers and followers! This is my very first fanfic, and I am truly overwhelmed by the level of support you all have shown me.**

 ** _MissTaarna_** **(omg! I couldn't imagine writing a 5 or 6 thousand word chapter on a typewriter! I would have given up 20 words in! Haha!),** ** _Okikun_** ** _,_** ** _Lumina_** **(are there two Luminas?),** ** _Monking II_** ** _,_** ** _erushia014_** **, and** ** _raijinfairy_** **(To answer your question: No, she doesn't have her l'Cie power anymore. As cool as that would be, it disappeared along with her brand. The power that Etro bestowed upon her is gone as well. Unfortunately, she's just regular old Lightning again. But hey! She's going to get the opportunity to use materia, so it's kind of the same, right?)**

 **Thank you all…**

 **Hopefully, by now you've already read the title of the chapter and can figure out what's ahead. So, I'll quit rambling now and let you get to it. Enjoy! ;-)**

* * *

Chapter 04 – Not Interested.

Lightning shivered as she walked through the cold, deserted streets of Sector 7. The only noise that seemed to break through the silence was the sound of gravel crunching beneath her boots. If she had been thankful for anything, it was that Sector 7 wasn't as littered with homeless people as Sector 6 had been. The less people that saw her tonight, the better. Normally, at this time of night, most of the sector's residents were asleep or drinking their sorrows away at the local bar, and tonight was no exception.

Tonight marked Lightning's first mission with AVALANCHE. After Jessie had filled her in on Shinra, the mako reactors, and the sorry state that both of them had left the planet in, the choice to help had been obvious. She wanted to make her time on Gaia as meaningful as possible, and the objective of saving an entire planet from being sucked dry and killed by the mako reactors definitely qualified as "meaningful". Their mission tonight was to infiltrate the mako reactor in Sector 1 and plant a bomb in its core. Once detonated the bomb should completely destroy the reactor, rendering it useless. While it wouldn't immediately save the planet, it would at least buy some time and keep the planet going for a little longer.

Lighting chuckled to herself at the idea of belonging to what the Midgar media had referred to as a "terrorist group." Back on Cocoon, she had fought so diligently against groups like this…Groups like NORA. What would Snow think if he saw her now? She could almost picture that cocky smile of his just waiting to be punched off his face. The two of them had always been at odds over his rebellious band of misfits who seemed to challenge the Sanctum's authority every chance they got. Little did she know at the time, but Snow and NORA had actually been right all along…Of course, Lightning would never admit that to him. Perhaps that was the reason that she had so quickly agreed to join AVALANCHE?

"Sure is quiet tonight," Jessie remarked, pulling Lightning from her thoughts. The two of them were making their way through the slums of Sector 7 to the train station. Lightning had been staying with Jessie for a week now, and so far, the only thing that she was comfortable navigating was their house. Lightning had mostly kept to herself, not wanting to venture out into the slums. It wasn't that she was scared of going out…More than anything, she found the pathetic state of the city to be depressing, so she decided to stay inside and utilize her time to do more practical things, such as maintaining her gunblade or educating herself on Gaia, Shinra, and Midgar. Jessie had, for the most part, stayed with her, but had disappeared a few times to "take care of a few things." _Whatever that meant_. She assumed that it had something to do with AVALANCHE and the mission, so she didn't ask questions.

"Yeah," Lightning nodded in agreement. "Almost too quiet."

"You're sure you're up for this?" Jessie asked. Did she really have a choice? Jessie had practically begged her to come along. Ever since Lightning had mentioned wanting to make her time on this world meaningful, Jessie had talked non-stop about the group of rag tag rebels that she belonged to, and how they were trying to "save the planet".

"Yes." Lightning confirmed. "But…don't you think you should have introduced me to the rest of the group before bringing me along on a mission this big?" That question had been hounding her for days now, ever since Jessie had sprung the mission on her and begged for help. As far as she knew, this would be the most radical thing that AVALANCHE had ever done. Jessie wasn't stupid by any means, but a little more thought and planning into their missions would have been nice. How was this group supposed to function efficiently if the members didn't know one another? During her time as a l'Cie, she had learned rather quickly that the key to an effective team was trust…and to be able to trust someone, you had to at least know who they were.

"Eh…It probably would have been a good idea," Jessie admitted. "But, don't worry about it. We're desperate for help, so no one will give you a hard time, I promise. I guess I didn't introduce you earlier because I didn't know what they'd make of your story, assuming that you'd even fill them in on it. Some of them aren't as open minded as the rest of us. I figure that if you did a good job on this mission and we actually pulled it off, they would have no choice but to trust you. Besides, you're not the only one. The boss is bringing along a new recruit too…Some ex-SOLDIER guy. I haven't met him yet, but if the boss trusts him to help out with something this big, then I guess I have to as well. We really need all the help we can get, and with two ex-soldiers on our team, we can't lose!"

 _SOLDIER_. Shinra's elite group of genetically modified super soldiers. As a result of mako enhancements, these individuals possessed inhuman strength, speed, and agility. Members of SOLDIER were far superior to the average soldier or infantryman and were only given special tasks that required incredible strength. The SOLDIER program itself was supposed to be some deep dark secret, but everyone seemed to know about it. From what Jessie had told her on the matter, the members of SOLDIER usually didn't retire or quit, and death was the only way out. The members were either killed in combat or Shinra assassinated them for leaving out of fear of having their secrets publicized. Lightning couldn't help but wonder why this guy had been so special? Why wasn't Shinra trying to eliminate him like they had the others? Could this man really be trusted? Could it be possible that he'd never really quit at all and was now leading the group into a trap?

"You'd better hurry up, or we'll miss the train!" Jessie whispered, snapping Lightning back to reality. Lightning had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she had failed to see that they had finally arrived at their destination.

Looking around, she observed that the poorly lit station was just as deserted as the rest of Sector 7, with the exception of a couple that stood next to a lamppost. The area was just as shabby as the rest of the sector, and the ground was littered with stacks of lumber and steel that she assumed was used for railway maintenance. In the distance, Lightning could make out what appeared to be a graveyard of trains. From the looks of it, that place seemed as if it would be a magnet for crime - Hopefully, she'd never have to travel through there. Refocusing on her immediate surroundings, she noted that the 23:00 train that she and Jessie would be boarding to Sector 1 sat ready to depart by the loading dock, and an attendant in a red uniform stood guard outside its open door.

"Two for Sector 1," Jessie smiled at the attendant as they approached.

The attendant looked down at his watch and smirked, "22:59, cuttin' it close, aren't we?" Lightning mentally scolded herself. Of course he was right.

"Something like that," Jessie laughed as she handing over the correct amount of gil to the attendant.

"Right.." the man nodded. "You two are the last," he stated as he ushered them inside and closed the door behind them. "Please find your compartment and take a seat." Lightning and Jessie didn't have to be told twice. Jessie took the lead and set off through the train.

"So, where are we supposed to be meeting the rest of the group?" Lightning whispered as they made their way through the first car.

"Boss's orders were to meet on the train departing at 23:00," Jessie whispered back almost non-audbilby. "He figured that we'd probably draw a lot of unwanted attention if we all boarded together, so he suggested staggering and boarding separately. Once we're all on board, we're supposed to meet in the last car to finalize our plans. When we arrive in Sector 1, we'll break into smaller groups and begin the assault."

"Right…" Shouldn't these plans already be finalized? Lightning had to admit that she was quick to adapt to any situation, but it seemed like this group was literally making it up as they went along. As much as she liked and respected Jessie, she couldn't help but immediately dislike whoever was leading this group. What sort of leader tries to execute a plan of this size without knowing exactly who is on his team? What kind of leader charges in the front door without a plan?

 _Snow._

The question had barely passed through her train of thought, and she had already arrived at her answer. Snow would charge through the door, guns blazing, without a real plan. Act first and think later - That seemed to be his motto. The self-proclaimed "hero" never gave any real thought to anything at all. Back on Cocoon, he had been hasty with his half-baked plans, and his actions had put everyone around him in danger. This leader seemed to share quite a few similarities with her ex-comrade. Lightning just hoped that this person's recklessness didn't put her or Jessie in jeopardy.

As the duo made their way through the cars, Lightning couldn't help but notice how few people were actually on the train. Striking the reactor at night had indeed been good planning, but was it a good idea to head out so late and be one of the few people that were on the late train? Surely their appearances would be memorable whether they had boarded together, or not. Jessie looked normal enough, but Lightning's trademark pink locks were unforgettable...and who knows what these other guys look like. It probably would have been a better idea to arrive in Sector 1 a little earlier in the day. It would have given them more time to prepare for the mission, and would have also prevented them from standing out too much. There were so few people on this train that the attendant could probably describe every single person that he'd let on. Surely, after tonight, there would be an investigation, and that attendant wouldn't hesitate to submit their descriptions to anyone who asked.

"Hey, Light," Jessie whispered. "You go on ahead to the last car. I forgot to run our I.D.'s through the database. I need to take care of that so we'll clear the security checkpoint. We're the last ones to board, so when you get there, just let them know that I'm just running I.D.'s and I'll be there in a minute." Lighting had opened her mouth to object, but Jessie had turned tail and disappeared before she could utter a single syllable.

"Right…" Lightning muttered to herself as she watched Jessie disappear to the front of the train. Surely, nothing good would come from this…A complete stranger walking into an eco-terrorist strategy meeting? Jessie clearly hadn't thought this one through. She had been so nervous that she had forgotten that Lightning and the rest of AVALANCHE weren't already acquainted.

The train jerked to life just as Lightning found herself standing outside of the door that separated her from the final compartment containing the members of AVALANCHE, and Jessie's closest friends. If Jessie trusted them, then that would have to be good enough for her. Even if the group seemed a little reckless, they had meant well in everything they did, and they had ultimately aimed to save lives. That reasoning was good enough for her, but it did nothing to explain why she felt so nervous at the prospect of meeting that strangers that were behind this door. This feeling was completely foreign to her. She had been on plenty of dangerous missions during her time in the Guardian Corps., and meeting strangers had never bothered her before. So why was she so anxious? She couldn't put her finger on it, but something felt different this time.

Finally mustering the courage to enter, she slowly slid the compartment door open and stepped inside. She quietly closed the door behind her and turned to face her new comrades. The four men in the compartment seemed to take notice of her presence and promptly stopped their conversation to turn and face her in confusion. No one seemed to say a word as they stood in silent observation of one another. Clearly they weren't expecting anyone but Jessie to walk through that door. Lightning would have given anything for her brunette roommate to come bursting into the compartment to save her from this uncomfortable stare down.

One of the men facing her was tall and thin, and his dark hair was tied back with a red bandana similar to Jessie's. He was dressed in an olive green short sleeve shirt and a pair of tactical pants that were a slight darker shade of green. The man that stood by his side was shorter and heftier. His messy black hair was partially covered by yet another red bandana, and he wore blue pants, double metal shoulder pauldrons with a white t-shirt underneath.

The man standing opposite of the two was built like nothing Lightning had ever seen before. Like Sazh, he was dark-skinned, but bigger…much, much bigger. She had considered Snow to be a very large man, but this dark-skinned beast easily dwarfed him. He was dressed in green tactical cargo pants and wore a ripped brown vest that exposed his bare chest. What surprised Lightning the most about this man was not his size, although that in itself was very impressive, but rather the large gun that had been grafted into his right arm, completely replacing his hand. This man looked downright dangerous.

The fourth man stood in the corner of the compartment, distanced from the others. He appeared to be slightly shorter than the first two men, and was much shorter than the dark-skinned man. The man had a very muscular build that looked almost unnatural for his smaller stature and his blonde hair was spiked in a way that seemed to defy gravity. He was dressed in baggy black tactical pants and a tight sleeveless black shirt that really accentuated his muscles. On his left shoulder, he bore a black metal pauldron, and mounted onto his back was the largest sword that Lightning had ever seen in her life. He briefly looked up to acknowledge her sudden presence in the compartment, and their eyes locked. She had never seen anything in the world quite like the eyes that were now staring back into her own. They seemed to glow and were almost hypnotizing.

Lightning continued to stare at the blonde stranger for what felt like eternity, neither of them daring to break eye contact first. She had never seen anything quite like this man that stood before her. As she mentally put the puzzle pieces together, she felt it was safe to assume that he was the ex-SOLDIER that Jessie had told her about. Nothing else could explain that beautiful glow in his cerulean eyes. Lightning had nearly forgotten everyone else in the room until she was seized by an unnaturally strong force and slammed painfully into the wall, knocking the breath from her lungs.

"Who tha hell are you?" the dark-skinned man spat in her face. "You workin' for Shinra?"

"W-What? No!" Lightning gasped as she angrily, but unsuccessfully, pushed back against the man who had her pinned to the wall. His left hand had a painfully tight hold on her right shoulder and his right gun arm was pressed horizontally across her chest to hold her in place. "Get off me!"

"Like hell." He fired back. "How much d'you know?"

"If you let me go, I could explain!" Lightning shot back as she reached down to grab the handle of her gunblade. This guy was treading a fine line.

 _I swear, if this guy doesn't let go of me in the next five seconds. I'm going to cut off his other damn hand. Five...Four…Three…Two…_

"You aint goin' anywhere 'til.." he continued, completely oblivious to her hand tightening around the handle of her weapon.

 _One…_

"Whoa! Whoa!" Jessie's frantic voice interrupted as she hastily stepped into the compartment, taking in the scene playing out before her eyes. "Barret, let her go! She's OK. She's one of us."

"What d'ya mean "one of us"?" The man called Barret asked defensively as he slightly relaxed his tight hold on Lightning's shoulder, and turned his head in Jessie's direction. "She's Shinra! She got a military pauldron, an' all. Look…girl's a sergeant." He stated as he gestured to the pauldron on her left shoulder. "If she aint Shinra, then why she gotta pauldron like that?"

"She's an EX-soldier," Jessie fired back as she nudged her way between Lightning and the dark skinned man, completely separating them. "Her name is Lightning, and she's been living with me for the past week. She's not from Midgar and she definitely doesn't work for Shinra. She wanted to do something to help the planet, so I told her about AVALANCHE and our mission. You said yourself that we needed to recruit some new members. We need all the help we can get, and she's good!" With her words, the dark skinned man took a few steps backward and scratched his head thoughtfully. He stared at his enormous boots for a few moments, before finally turning his scrutinizing gaze back to Lightning as he looked her up and down.

"Guess I did say that," he mumbled while extending his hand to a hesitant Lightning, who begrudgingly returned his handshake. "Sorry 'bout before…Lightnin', is it? Name's Barret. I'm runnin' the show 'ere in AVALANCHE. Nice'ta meet ya. Guess some introductions are'n order. This's Biggs.." he stated as he gestured to the slim man in green who rushed forward a little too eagerly to shake her hand. "An' Wedge.." as he gestured to the chunkier man who bashfully came forward to do the same. "An' you already know Jess…These three are our technology nerds. They handle all of the behind the scenes stuff like crackin' codes and makin' sure security don't come down on our asses."

"Pleasure," Lightning nodded to the two men, before turning her attention to the man standing in the corner of the compartment.

"An' the one broodin' over there in the corner name's Cloud." Barret continued. "He's ex…" Lightning slowly stepped forward to shake the man's hand, and their eyes locked for a second time.

 _Those eyes._

"Not interested." Cloud stated stubbornly as he broke eye contact and turned his attention to the nearest window.

"DAMN, SPIKEY!" Barret shouted. "Have some goddamn respect!"

"I'm not the one that was threatening her a few minutes ago," Cloud replied coldly. He had a point. "You throw her into a wall and accuse her of being the enemy, and _I'm_ the one being disrespectful?"

Lightning could see the heat rising in Barret's dark face. It was obvious that he was doing everything he could to stop himself from launching at the blonde haired man that stood impassively in the corner. These two clearly didn't get along. Jessie had mentioned that Barret had trusted this man, but did he really? How was this team supposed to be effective if its members didn't trust one another? Lightning had seen and heard enough of this pathetic excuse of a team. She had every intention of surviving this mission, so things were going to change right here and now. Barret had opened his mouth to retort, but was immediately silenced.

"It really doesn't matter," Lightning interrupted. "He didn't trust me, and for good reason. I could have been anyone…And for the record, I am not interested in you either. I don't really care about making friends. I just want to finish this mission and go home in one piece…and to do that, we all need to stop bickering like a bunch of children and work together like a REAL team. We don't have to like one another, but we do need to respect and trust one another. Think you all can manage that?"

She waited silently while her words sank in with the rest of the group. Her words had come off much colder than she had intended, but it didn't matter. This group was never going to pull off this mission if they kept behaving this way, and assuming they somehow did manage to pull it off, there would be no way they would survive the escape. To successfully complete something of this magnitude, every single member needed to cooperate and work together as a team, and this group couldn't be further from that goal.

Biggs, Wedge and Jessie seemed to understand and nodded to her in agreement before taking their seats. Barret stood in silence with his eyes once again trained on the floor. He had adopted the look of a naughty child who had just been scolded by his mother. She had gotten that reaction from Snow many times as well, when one of his harebrained schemes backfired in his face. Hopefully Barret wasn't as thick headed as her sister's idiot fiancé and could learn from his mistakes. In the corner, Cloud's demeanor remained unchanged as he continued to stare blankly out the window apparently unfazed by her words. Had he even heard what she had said, or did he just not care?

 _Man, this guy is stubborn! He almost reminds me of…me._

Once upon a time, not so long ago, Lightning had also maintained this mentality. After her mother's death, she had been so focused on becoming the strong adult that Serah needed that she willingly shut out the entire world so she could remain dedicated to her focus. She had decided to join the Guardian Corps and ditched her birth name of Claire to adopt her current moniker. She had been so headstrong and wrapped up in her mission that she had inadvertently shut Serah out as well. Even when Serah had tried to reason with her, she wouldn't listen. Sadly, it had taken a terrified kid named Hope and a death sentence to make her see the error of her ways, and by that point, it had been too late to make things right with her sister.

"Hate to admit it, bu' Pinky's right," Barret sighed, finally breaking the silence.

 _Did he really just call me Pinky? This guy seriously has a death wish._

"Awright, no more screwin' around. We gotta mission to finish," he continued as he plopped himself down into a seat next to Biggs. "Hey, Moody! Get yo spikey ass over here so we can talk strategy." Cloud shot Barret a death glare, before reluctantly crossing the car to stand next to the group.

"Awright, listen up! The mission's simple. We gonna bust into the Sector 1 reactor tonight an' blow it to bits. There's six of us, so I say we divide into two teams. Biggs, Wedge an' Jessie'll be doin' what they do best an' handlin' security. They got their hands on the access codes for the place, so they'll be managin' the doors an' shit like that so we don't get caught. Once we in, they'll park their asses an' play lookout, while Me, Spikey and Pinky go down into the reactor an' handle the heavy shit. Once the bomb's planted, we only got ten minutes to get our asses outta there before it blows, so we get to the exit as soon as possible…No messin' around! Once we out, we need to split up and then meet back at the Sector 8 train station. The last train outta there headin' to Sector 7 leaves at 01:00, so anyone not there'll be left behind. Once we home, everyone needs to meet at the bar, an' then we'll figure out what our next move is. Any questions?"

Biggs and Wedge shook their heads in tandem, while Jessie gave a simple thumbs up, before turning their backs to huddle together to discuss their role in the mission. Cloud, on the other hand, refused to acknowledge the instructions, and retreated once again to his corner. Lightning had expected as much from him. He acted as if he truly didn't care about the mission at all, which naturally raised the question of why he was even here in the first place. He didn't seem to care about the wellbeing of the planet or the group for that matter. With his solitary mentality, he seemed to be more of a liability than an asset in her eyes. If he was refusing to work as a team, he would not only be setting them up for failure, but putting them all in danger as well.

"So…" she began as she turned to face Barret. "What's the plan for we arrive? Charge in through the front door, guns blazing?"

"Yup," He responded confidently. Of course that was his plan. It sounded like something that Snow would concoct.

"And, what about covering our tracks here?" She pressed on. "There aren't many people aboard this train. Aren't you worried that the attendants will turn our descriptions over to the authorities?" It was a valid question in her mind. This band of misfits stood out like a sore thumb, so of course their appearances would be memorable. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie looked as normal as normal could be, but the same thing couldn't be said about Lightning, Cloud and Barret. Their appearances would definitely be unforgettable.

"Don' sweat it," Barret reassured her. "There's only one attendant on this train an' I already paid'em off. Tha's why no one but us's come bargin' in here yet. He aint gonna blab to no one. As for the passengers…They'll be gettin' off at the front of the train an' we'll be getting' off from the back. They aint gonna notice us. We might haveta take out a few Shinra scum on our way out, but we shouldn' have much of a probl'm." It didn't sound like much of a strategy to her, but Lightning was in no position to object at this point. The plan was already in motion and soon they would be arriving in Sector 1.

"Awright, people," Barret said loudly as he turned to the rest of the group. "We should be arrivin' in the next five or ten minutes. Check ya shit and make sure you ready. Once this thing stops, we jumpin' out the back." With that, Barret turned his back to her and began to sort through his equipment.

 _Guess I should do the same._

She removed her gunblade from its holster, and while it was still in gun mode, pulled the clip to check her ammunition. She had already double and triple checked all of this before leaving Jessie's house, but one more time wouldn't hurt anything. With a flick of her wrist, she extended the weapon into sword mode to ensure that everything else was functioning properly. As she briefly looked up from her inspection, she couldn't help but notice that Cloud had slightly turned his head to observe her weapon. It seemed that something had finally "interested" him. Gunblades had been rather advanced technology back on Cocoon, so it was likely that he had never seen one before. Gaia wasn't primitive by any means, but seemed ages behind her artificial world of Cocoon. If Cloud was impressed by her gunblade, she could only imagine what his reaction would be to her Grav-Con unit. As humorous as that idea seemed to her, she decided that it was best to keep that device a secret…For now, at least. Surely, her appearance and weapon of choice would raise enough questions on their own. She didn't need to introduce technology that seemed to be centuries ahead of this place.

As Lightning flicked her wrist once again to collapse her weapon and holster it, she heard the attendant announce loudly over the intercom, "Attention, all passengers. We will be arriving in Sector 1 in five minutes. I repeat, we will be arriving in Sector 1 in five minutes. Please return to your seats and remain seated until the train comes to a complete stop. Thank you."

Lightning proceeded to the nearest seat next to the window and stared outside. The train seemed to be slowing, but the world still seemed to pass by in a flash. She could already see the reactor in the distance, steadily inching its way closer. Tonight, they'd be destroying that reactor, and tomorrow they'd all be fugitives with prices over their heads. Was this really a good idea? Would destroying one reactor really do anything to help save the planet? How many causalities would result from their actions tonight? Surely, Shinra would know that AVALANCHE was behind it all. Would they retaliate? These questions consumed Lightning like a plague, making her question her very presence in this compartment. Were they doing the right thing? Maybe they should just abandon this mission and go back?

The mako reactor loomed overhead as the train came to a final stop in the station. The voice over the intercom cut through Lightning's thoughts as it rang out once again, "Attention passengers, we have arrived in Sector 1. Please collect your belongings and proceed to your nearest exit. I repeat, we have arrived in Sector 1. Please collect your belongings and proceed to your nearest exit. Thank you, and have a good night."

Shaking the doubt and insecurities from her mind, Lightning rose from her seat and removed her weapon from its holster.

 _Too late now…_

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, guys! We have arrived at Reactor no. 1! We're going to finally see some action next chapter. On one hand, I'm relieved that we are entering the FFVII plotline because the main story is already written, minus Light, of course. That means I can focus solely on developing the CloudxLight relationship that you all are yearning for (Don't even try to deny it. I know why you all are here! lol). The downside of going into the FFVII plotline is that most of the story won't be mine, you know, since Square-Enix owns it. That means that I won't get to use my over active imagination as much as I did for these first few chapters. I really enjoyed writing these chapters, and you all seemed to enjoy reading them.**

 **So..Lightning and Cloud met in this chapter. What did you all think of their first encounter? They sort of had a moment before Cloud decided to be an asshole and ruined it. I know it seems like it was one sided, but trust me, it wasn't. Cloud likes to self-sabotage. These two are definitely off to a rocky start, but I did that on purpose. In the beginning of FFVII, Cloud was so stuck up his own ass that he treated everyone like shit. I thought that it'd be a good idea to reflect that here as well. He'll get better, promise! Now that he has been introduced, I may switch the story to his perspective every now and then. Would that be ok?**

 **The main thing that I wanted to make a point of in this chapter was how disorganized AVALANCHE appeared in the game. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who noticed this. The members were always arguing and it seemed like they never had a plan. They just seemed to make everything up as they went along. Anyone who knows Lightning's character knows that she doesn't handle disorganization very well and always needs a plan. It was only a matter of time before she snapped. All I can say is that at least no one got punched this time! (Although..the thought did cross my mind to escalate the scene with Cloud and have her punch him for the way he was acting..but I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have gone over too well with you all, and would have resulted in death by negative reviews for me! Needless to say, I decided against it! lol)**

 **I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I wasn't planning on releasing it this soon, but I was overwhelmed by the content of the reviews I was receiving, so I decided to push it. I really hope that I came through for you all again! As always, if you liked what you saw here, please take a few minutes to send me a review! Your reviews are my motivation to keep going!**

 **Thanks again,**

 **Lady A**


	6. Chapter 5: Not My Problem

**A/N: A special thanks to my reviewers!**

 **Monking II, Lumxna, Okikun, MissTaarna, erushia014, Lumina, and the new guest – This chapter is for you!  
**

 ***Please excuse any typos or errors that you may encounter. This chapter was 17 pages long, and I really need to move on to other things such as the midterms that I've been putting off lol. I wanted to go ahead and post this before school consumed the rest of my week. This is my last semester of college, so its crunch time!**

 ***I feel like I have to begin with this disclosure since I am now venturing into Square-Enix territory. They own everything except my imagination. With that said, please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 05 – Not My Problem

The mako reactor loomed overhead as the train came to a final stop in the station. The voice over the intercom cut through Lightning's thoughts as it rang out once again, "Attention passengers, we have arrived in Sector 1. Please collect your belongings and proceed to your nearest exit. I repeat, we have arrived in Sector 1. Please collect your belongings and proceed to your nearest exit. Thank you, and have a good night."

Shaking the doubt and insecurities from her mind, Lightning rose from her seat and removed her weapon from its holster.

 _Too late now…_

It was far too late to be second guessing anything. While AVALANCHE was indeed ill prepared and disorganized, that did not change the fact that the mission was already underway, and would be proceeding whether she agreed with the course of action, or not. It was obvious that Barret had meant well in all of his actions, and honestly, he even looked like a leader...but he was no leader. Just like Snow, he was all talk. Lightning knew this group didn't stand a chance in hell of actually completing a mission this big, so it was up to her to make sure they all survived.

"Yo! This is it!" Barret shouted to the group. "Let's move!"

Lightning was the first to reach the exit. It was probably better for the group's safety if she took point through the reactor and called most of the shots. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were overly nervous, so it was easy to assume that they had never done anything like this before. Barret looked confident, and she had not doubt that he could hold his own in a fight, but that's where his capabilities seemed to end. He had the passion of a leader, but he wasn't cut out to lead this mission, or any for that matter. His lack of strategy made it painfully obvious that he had also never done anything of this magnitude. Aside from herself, the only person who seemed to be remotely close to being up for the challenge was Cloud. He had been a SOLDIER operative, after all, so that had to count for something. But, it was hard to know what that guy was thinking. His stoic expression made him extremely hard to read. His comments seemed to support his impassive attitude, but the very fact that he was standing here among them somehow shattered every conclusion she was able to make about the man.

"Hold it!" Lightning commanded, as she reached the door and turned to address the group. "…No guns unless we have to." She stated, as she made eye contact with Barret.

"The hell?" he demanded angrily. "The only weapon I got is this baby right here." He continued as he gestured to the gun on his arm. Was he really going to stand here and debate this with her? Did he really not understand that by firing his weapon, he'd be alerting every soldier on property to their location and could ultimately cause them to fail? She had hoped that he would be smart enough to understand that this mission required a great deal of caution, but since he continued to stare at her with a dumbstruck expression on his face, she knew that she'd have to spell it out for him.

"Do you want to get us all killed?" Lightning asked impatiently. "…I mean, if that's your plan, then go for it," she added on sarcastically. Barret's mouth hung open as he searched for a response, but couldn't seem to find the words. "Look…" she tacked on to further her argument, "charging though the front door with guns blazing is not a good plan… it's just a good way to die. If we rush into that place and start spraying bullets, every soldier around will know we're there. Trust me when say that we don't want that kind of attention. Going through the front door wouldn't have been my first choice, but if we must, lets at least try to do it quietly."

"So, what am I supposed to do then if I can't fight?" he finally asked. She could see the gears finally turning in his head as he tried to process her logic.

"Let Cloud and I handle the fighting," she instructed as she glanced sideways to see Cloud give her a nod of approval. She had to hand it to the blonde man, he was stubborn as hell, but at least he was smart enough to understand her reasoning. "I assume that he knows what he's doing with that oversized toy of his, so why not let us take the lead and you run defense for us? Watch our backs, use melee attacks, and only fire if necessary." She added as she turned back to Barret to watch her words sink in.

Barret silently mulled her words over for a few moments before finally giving in to her judgement. "Awright." he relented. He looked truly disappointed with the turn of events, but at least he seemed to understand that his plan hadn't been viable. Barret was in no way a good leader, but at least he wasn't as stupid or as thick headed as Snow, and that she could work with. As long as he continued to follow her advice, the group would have a higher probability of surviving this mission.

"Ok guys, let's move!" She ordered, before turning to charge through the exit.

As she emerged on the platform, she immediately spot two Shinra soldiers standing guard. The entrance to the reactor could be seen in the distance, so that meant that these guys would most definitely have to be taken out. Lightning approached the first soldier and delivered an uppercut with so much force behind it that the man flew backwards off his feet and landed on the ground unconscious. Alarmed by what he had just witnessed, the second soldier charged at her with his weapon drawn, but was not quick enough to dodge the roundhouse kick that she aimed precisely at his chest.

"Damn, girl! You don't mess around, do ya?" Barret praised, as he and the rest of the group emerged onto the platform behind her. Lightning decided to ignore his comment and began to sprint toward the reactor with the group hot on her trail. Wasting time would not be in their best interest; they needed to get into the reactor as quickly as possible before more soldiers were alerted to their presence.

As they raced toward the reactor, they encountered another two Shinra infantrymen who stood directly in their path with their weapons at the ready. Lightning stopped dead in her tracks and raised her sword threateningly. Cloud's sudden appearance at her side was a welcomed relief as he removed his sword from his back and held it in front of him ready to fight. Perhaps he could be trusted to have their back? The two guards looked between the both of them before making the joint decision to attack Cloud, as they obviously perceived him and his larger sword to be the true threat. Both men lunged at him in unison only to meet cold hard steel as he swung his oversized sword, successfully slashing both men across the chest with a single swipe. As the men collapsed to the ground, Lightning gave him a quick nod as she proceeded forward through the deserted streets of sector 1.

As they arrived at the gate outside of the reactor, Lightning slowed to allow Biggs, Wedge and Jessie to pass. As much as she wanted to maintain the lead, she was useless against locked doors, and technology had never been her area of expertise. Jessie rushed forward and knelt in front of the door to begin bypassing the code. As she worked, the rest of the group huddled behind her, while Barret and Wedge ran further down the street to keep a lookout while ordering Cloud and Lightning to watch the opposite direction.

"So…you two used to be soldiers, huh?" Biggs asked as he oversaw Jessie's work. "Not every day ya find one in AVALANCHE, let alone two of them."

"SOLDIER.." Jessie remarked bitterly. "Aren't they the enemy? What are you doing here with us in AVALANCHE anyway?" she asked venomously. Lightning turned her head in the blonde's direction not daring to miss his response. Clearly that question had bothered Jessie as much as it had been bothering her. Cloud met her gaze with a hesitant look in his eyes, almost as if he didn't want her to know the answer.

"He WAS in SOLDIER, Jessie!" Biggs intercepted as he looked at Cloud admiringly. "He quit and he's with us now." He added before turning his attention back to Cloud. "What was your name again, I forgot."

"…Cloud," Cloud stated flatly as he shifted his gaze to the ground.

"Cloud, eh? I'm…"

"I don't care what your names are," Cloud interrupted sharply as he abruptly looked up from the ground and shook his head at the man in disapproval. "Once this job's over, I'm outta here." The hurt look on Biggs' face was impossible to miss as he directed his attention towards his boots. Lightning might have felt bad for him, but Cloud had a point. This wasn't the time nor the place for conversation. They could learn more about each other later…Now, they needed to focus on the mission.

"The hell you all doin'!? Barret asked impatiently as he reemerged from the right, clearly angered that they had not accessed the reactor yet. "I thought I told you all…"

"Code deciphered." Jessie announced loudly, successfully interrupting Barret's rant as the gate in front of her came to life. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie rushed through the entrance, while Barret blocked the opening and turned to face Cloud. Clearly something was on his mind..

"Ex-SOLDIER, huh? I don't trust ya." He stated firmly before turning to catch up with the others. Cloud simply shrugged at the comment and set off after the group, but Lightning was left stunned by his words. If Barret truly didn't trust the man, then why was he here? It didn't make any sense.

Beyond the entry gate, the group passed through a cluttered area that resembled a small stock yard before emerging on to a highly elevated T-shaped catwalk that expanded to the reactor's main entrance. As the group made their way across the elevated platform, Lightning surveyed the area, making sure to take mental notes of the landmarks they passed so they could easily retrace their steps on their way out. Wedge seemed to notice what she had been doing and halted her before they reached the door.

"I'll secure our escape passage," he assured. "You and Cloud just concentrate on the mission." He added on, as he looked at the reactor that towered over them. "Geez, we're really gonna blow this huge furnace up? This'll be something to see!" Wedge gestured the group through the oversized door as he informed them that he was going to stay behind to monitor security on the top level. As they passed through the door, they were met with a staircase that ended at yet another locked door. Biggs and Jessie rushed forward to enter their access codes, while Barret turned to Lightning and Cloud who were standing guard behind.

"Yo! This your first time in a reactor?" he inquired as his gaze shifted between the two ex-soldiers.

"Yes," Lightning nodded.

"No," Cloud answered, shaking his head. "After all, I did work for Shinra, y'know." Barret looked between the two of them thoughtfully before continuing.

"You know, the planets full of mako energy" Barret informed them. "People here use it every day. It's the blood of this planet. But, Shinra keeps suckin' the blood out with these weird machines."

"I'm not here for a lecture," Cloud responded icily. "Let's just do it." He added, shrugging his shoulders. Barret shot Cloud a look of disbelief before to face the door. Lightning kind of felt bad for the man. He clearly cared about the issues that his group was fighting so hard for, and it seemed to hurt him that Cloud didn't seem to share their views.

The next few minutes of navigating the reactor passed by in uncomfortable silence as the group encountered several additional locked doors blocking their path to the core. Each room they passed through seemed to look even more unusual than the last. Lightning noticed various hoses running in every which direction and strange computers seemed to line the walls in every room. It seemed as if they would never reach the end of this maze, but Biggs and Jessie pressed on as if they knew the place by heart. The last locked door that stood in their path lead to a small elevator. Biggs quickly ushered them inside, informing the group that he would also be staying behind to monitor security.

"Hey Light," Jessie called as they made their way into the cramped elevator. "Push that button over there." Lightning nodded and stepped forward to press the button that would take them deeper into the reactor. The elevator seemed to be traveling at snail's pace as the group descended further and further into the reactor. The quartet remained silent for most of the trip, but Lightning noticed that Barret seemed to be shooting daggers at Cloud with his eyes. It was obvious that Cloud's careless attitude was beginning to push him over the edge.

"Little by little the reactors'll drain out all the life. Then that'll be that." Barret finally snapped, as he continued to look angrily at Cloud.

"It's not my problem," Cloud shrugged nonchalantly. Lightning could see the color rising in Barret's face again, as he was quickly losing the ability to keep his temper under control.

 _Please…Please, don't do this here!_

"The planets dyin' Cloud!" Barret roared as he waved his hands through the air in frustration.

"The only thing I care about is finishin' this job before security and the Roboguards come," Cloud fired back as he shook his head and then dismissively turned to face the door. From the corner of her eye, Lightning saw Barret take a threatening step forward, but her sudden disapproving glare stopped him dead in his tracks. She slightly shook her head at the angered man. _Don't do this._ She was unsure whether Cloud was being serious, or if he was actually trying to bait the man, but she prayed that if he was, Barret would not stupid enough to take it. Losing his cool now would be a death sentence for the entire group. Barret seemed to receive her unspoken warning and turned to face the elevator's control panel while still shaking in rage. The elevator door seemed to open right on que, and the group filed out to discover another long flight of stairs that would lead them deeper underground.

"The core is down below," Jessie explained, as they reached the catwalk at the bottom of the stairs. "Here is the bomb." She reached into her side pocket and pulled out a small device and placed it in Barret's hands. "…Remember, we only have ten minutes to get out once you activate it…I'll wait here." She added as she made her way past the ladder and knelt on the other side.

Lightning, Cloud and Barret made their way across the catwalk and began to descend the ladder into the core. As they reached the platform below, Lightning's nostrils were filled with a sweet fragrance. As she peered over the edge of the walkway, she was completely blown away by the sight below. The platform they stood upon was raised about three hundred meters above what appeared to be a bubbling, glowing green liquid. There were several large hoses that appeared to be suctioning the liquid from the depths upward into the reactor. Could it be possible that this was the mako, or the planet's blood, as Barret had called it?

As she continued to stare into the depths of the green liquid for what felt like hours, she couldn't help but feel a little unsteady as she stood on the narrow platform. Lightning had never really been afraid of heights, but for some reason staring down at this strange liquid made her feel anxious, almost as if it were going to pull her downward into its depths. As she nervously backed away from the edge, she accidentally bumped into Cloud, who had stopped behind her to look at the glowing liquid as well. He seemed to notice her discomfort because he arched an eyebrow and gave her a quizzical look.

Shaking off the image below her, Lightning rushed to catch up with Barret who was standing further down the catwalk in a large open space that contained an old machine with a strange looking valve attached. Barret seemed to be waiting impatiently for their arrival as he stood with his arms crossed and tapping his heavy boot. As the two of them reached the core, Barret pulled the explosive device from his pocket and began fidgeting with the wires.

"When we blow this place, it ain't gonna be nothin' more than a hunka junk." Barret commented as he continued to tinker with the wires. "You set the bomb," He commanded as he finished messing with the wires and shoved the device into Clouds hands, who looked at him in confusion.

"Shouldn't you do it?" Cloud asked uncertainly.

"Jus' do it!" Barret ordered irritably. "I gotta watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'."

"Fine…I'll do it," Cloud sighed as he slowly approached the valve and bent down to begin attaching the bomb. He continued working for several minutes before he suddenly snapped his head up to stare off into the distance as if something had distracted him.

"What's wrong?" Lightning asked as she approached from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok?" She inquired as she leaned over to inspect his work. Maybe there was something wrong with the bomb? Her training with explosives was rather limited, but maybe she could offer some help.

"Huh?" Cloud responded as he snapped from his daze to look up at her. He didn't seem at all bothered by her closeness. The two stared at each other for a few moments before Barret's booming voice snapped them to attention.

"Something wrong?" he huffed. "Hurry it up, will ya!"

"…yeah, sorry." Cloud mumbled as he broke eye contact and refocused his attention on the task at hand. As Cloud completely secured the bomb to the valve, a blaring alarm began to sound causing them all to jump.

 _Great, so much for keeping a low profile._

"Head's up, here it comes!" Barret shouted, as the grating began to shake beneath their feet.

 _Here what comes?_ Lightning thought as she frantically turned around to face the incoming threat.

Racing down the catwalk in their direction was a huge, red mechanical scorpion like creature. It was supported by six long, thick legs and its pincers were replaced by what appeared to be large rifles. The tip of its tail that soared menacingly overhead seemed to be constructed like a large, sharpened spearhead. Lightning unsheathed her gunblade, and with the weapon in gun mode took aim.

"Ay, Pinky!" Barret shouted. "Does this count as an emergency?" He asked jokingly as he raised his gunarm and opened fire on the beast.

Lightning chose to ignore his stupid question and began releasing her own onslaught of bullets, while Cloud charged forward and delivered an upward slash with his sword that only seemed to anger the beast. The scorpion backed up and fired at them with its left rifle. Cloud managed to deflect the bullets aimed in his direction with his large sword while Lightning summersaulted to the side. Infuriated, the beast stomped its feet aggressively before raising its tail high into the air and locking onto them with its ruby eyes.

"Be careful!" Cloud warned as he carefully watched the creature's movements. "Attack while its tail is up, and it's gonna counterattack with its laser!"

"So, what do you recommend?" Lighting asked impatiently.

"Dodge!" he commanded.

"Right…" Lightning muttered in frustration as she switched her weapon to sword mode and took a defensive stance.

The minutes seemed to drag by as Lightning evaded attack after attack sent her way by the monster, and she could feel her energy rapidly fading. She hadn't faced anything like this since her time as a l'Cie…and at least then, she had had her powers to assist. What she wouldn't give to have a tiny bit of that cursed magic right about now. Lightning landed what felt like her hundredth backflip as she evaded yet another swipe aimed at her chest from the creature's tail. As she landed, she took a brief moment to glance at the others, hoping they were in better shape than she was. Barret appeared to be even more exhausted than she was as he dived under a heavy onslaught of bullets, but Cloud looked as if he had enough stamina to go on for days. Lightning couldn't help but admire the man, but was immediately filled with dread as she realized a little too late that she had made a critical error: For the first time in her life, she had taken her eyes off of the enemy.

"Aghhh!" she cried as cold metal pierced her right shoulder and sliced down her arm, causing her to drop her gunblade onto the ground with a loud clatter. Gritting her teeth in agony, she mentally chastised herself for being so careless. Looking down to inspect the wound that the creature had left, she discovered a deep gash that ran jaggedly from her shoulder to the bottom of her bicep, which was releasing blood at an alarming rate.

"You OK, Lightnin'?" Barret called as he released a round of bullets to divert the scorpion's attention. Luckily, the creature had been satisfied with its successful strike on Lightning and had lowered its tail to allow them to go on the offense once again.

"I'll be fine," she insisted. "Its tail's down. Let's end this!" she added as she picked up her gunblade with her left hand and, with great difficulty, switched it to gun mode and began firing unsteadily at the monster.

The combination of blood loss and the recoil from her weapon was beginning make her feel very unstable and disoriented, so much that she had failed to notice that Cloud had positioned himself directly in front of her and now was deflecting bullets that were being aimed in her direction. The thought of Cloud actually protecting her made absolutely no sense. The blonde man didn't seem to care about anything or anyone, so why was he defending her now? Her confusion was amplified with each concerned glance he threw in her direction. Seconds turned into minutes as the fight raged on. Barret had reloaded his gun and continued his assault, while Cloud continued defend her position while delivering his own attacks.

"I'm out!" She rasped as her last shell ejected from her weapon and hit the ground beside her.

Cloud and Barret exchanged worried looks as they continued their attacks. It would only be a matter of time before Barret ran out of ammo as well. And, then what? It would be over. Cloud was good, but could he defeat this enemy on his own? She didn't know if the blood loss was beginning to make her hallucinate, but she could have sworn that Cloud had started to glow a reddish orange color. As he leapt high in the air, he raised his sword above his head before bringing it down with such force that it cut the scorpion clean in half. Satisfied with his victory, Cloud returned his sword to his back and turned to rush to where Lightning had collapsed onto her knees.

"Hey…You ok?" He asked gently as he inspected the wound trailing down her arm. Lightning continued to stare blankly ahead as her world began to spin and she was consumed with nausea. "Lightning?"

"I…I'm fine" she managed to get out.

"You're not." He argued. "But, it'll be ok. I found this on the way in," he said as he began rummaging around in his pocket and produced a green orb. "You've lost a lot of blood, but this should help close the wound."

Lightning stared at the green orb in his hand wondering how on earth that thing was supposed to heal her. Without proper medical supplies, there would be no way to adequately clean or close the wound. She may have stood a chance if her l'Cie power had still been readily available, but those powers had disappeared along with her brand. Lightning's thoughts were cut short when she saw the orb begin to glow beneath Clouds fingers and then felt a warmth creep up her arm and settle in her shoulder, immediately reliving any pain she had felt.

 _What the…?_ Lightning thought as she continued to stare at the glowing orb that Cloud still clutched tightly in his hand. _What the hell is that thing?_

"There," Cloud said as he inspected his work. "The wound is closed, but you still lost a lot of blood so you might wanna take it easy. The materia heals the wound, it can't replace the blood you've lost."

"Hate to interrupt, but we gotta get this baby activated, so we can get the hell outta here." Barret shouted as he began tinkering with the bomb again. "Ten minutes, let's go!"

"Come on!" Cloud said hurriedly, as he threw Lightning's left arm over his shoulder, helping her to her feet and began to hastily move toward the end of the catwalk. "Do you think you can climb?"

"Yeah," Lightning answered. She was beginning to feel a little better, but she still felt a little lightheaded from the blood loss.

Lightning went up the ladder first, followed closely by Cloud who was watching her every movement to make sure she didn't fall. As they reached the top, he slung her arm back over his shoulder and continued up the second catwalk where they had parted with Jessie.

"Hang on," Cloud murmured as he let go of her and rushed off in the wrong direction toward a crumpled form on the ground.

 _Jessie!_

"You ok?" he asked, as he leaned down to help remove her foot that had gotten stuck in the grating.

"My foot got stuck" Jessie answered. "…Thanks," she added before hurrying on toward the stairwell that led back up to the elevator, giving Lightning a brief nod as she passed.

"Yo! Eight minutes!" Barret boomed, as Cloud returned to assist Lightning up the stairs.

The group hurriedly made their way through the reactor, room by room. There were barely two minutes remaining by the time they made it to the long platform at the top of the reactor. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie had rushed ahead to unlock the doors and to secure their exit, but at this rate, they weren't going to make it. She wasn't moving as fast as she needed to and she was slowing everyone down. They were all going to die because of her.

"I'm slowing everyone down…Go on without me." Lightning pleaded. Cloud gave her a pained look before removing the sword from his back and tossing it to Barret, who sported a puzzled expression as he was forced to catch the heavy weapon one handed. Lightning was also confused by his actions but soon understood the reasoning when he swung her around onto his back and began piggybacking her toward the exit.

 _One minute…_

They had reached the end of the catwalk when Lightning heard the explosion from deep underground. It rattled the grating, threatening to hurl them all over into the abyss. The sudden earthquake in addition to her lightheadedness made the nausea return with a vengeance, and she prayed that she wouldn't throw up. Luckily, Cloud kept a steady balance and continued to charge towards the exit as fast as his legs would carry them. Barret had already reached the exit and was now waving his arms frantically urging them to hurry.

Cloud and Lightning had barely cleared the perimeter of the reactor when it erupted behind them and the explosive force projected them from the area. Lightning kept her arms wrapped tightly around Cloud's shoulders as the two of them soared through the air. Cloud landed on his stomach, successfully breaking Lightning's fall, but upon impact she was forced from his back and slid painfully into a concrete wall which knocked the breath from her lungs.

Lightning lay dazed on the ground, trying to make sense of the chaos surrounding her. Her head pounded furiously as she stared upward at the flaming reactor that they had just barely escaped from. As she lay motionless trying to stop her world from spinning, she noticed that the explosion had broken through the upper plate and she now had an unobscured view of the smoky sky. Lightning remained motionless and continued to stare up at the heavens for what felt like eternity before Jessie's concerned face blocked her view.

"Light," she cried frantically as she painfully shook her. "Are you ok?"

"Ugh…Y-Yeah," Lightning coughed as she tried to regain her breath. She slowly sat up and attempted to make sense of her surroundings. She felt dizzy…too dizzy. The group seemed to have emerged in an abandoned street in Sector 1, and was now standing within close proximity to one another. Cloud had already gotten to his feet, retrieved his sword from Barret, and now leaned against a nearby wall, while shooting her concerned looks. Biggs and Wedge looked absolutely exhausted as they leaned against the same wall, gasping for air. Barret paced back and forth in the street, deep in thought, as he tried to formulate a plan for their escape.

"That should keep the planet going…at least a little longer" Biggs wheezed as he made his way over and knelt next to Jessie and Lightning.

"Yeah" Wedge agreed from behind.

"Alright," Barret roared as he snapped from his thoughts. "We need to get outta here. Rendezvous at Sector 8 station. Split up and get to the train!...Lightnin' you're comin' with me." He added as he extended a hand and helped her to her feet. The group nodded in agreement before quickly separating and heading in different directions, leaving Lightning, Barret and Cloud behind.

"H-hey!" Cloud called from behind as Barret helped Lightning make her through the street toward the train station.

"If it's about your money, wait til we get back." Barret cut him off angrily.

 _So that's it…He's a mercenary. They're paying him. That's why he's here._

"I aint got time for this right now," Barret continued. "Pinky ain't lookin' so hot and I gotta make sure she gets outta here in one damn piece."

"That's not what I meant," Cloud responded coldly. "Are you sure you two are gonna be…never mind." He huffed before turning to dart off in the opposite direction.

 _What was that all about?_

Cloud's strange behavior seemed to eat at her all the way back to the train station. Why had he acted that way? Why had he defended her from the monster, and even risked his own life to save hers when they were escaping from the reactor? Why didn't he just let her die? Those actions would have been expected, but the way he had really acted did nothing but confuse her. It almost seemed like he cared, but that was crazy! He didn't know her and she didn't know him, so what was there to care about? He seemed so cold and isolated to the rest of the group, and had even been that way with her at first, but something had changed inside the reactor…something that she didn't quite understand.

Barret and Lightning made it to the train bound for Sector 7 at exactly 01:00, and boarded after Barret paid the attendant. They proceed down to the last car, which was already populated by Biggs, Wedge and Jessie. Jessie shot up from her seat at their arrival and rushed over to throw her arms around a still unstable Lightning. Lightning stood for a moment embracing her friend before allowing Jessie to help her to the nearest seat. As she looked around at the group, she was relieved to see that everyone was ok, but her heart seemed to freeze in her chest when she realized that someone was missing.

"Where's Cloud?" Lightning rasped as Biggs, Wedge and Jessie exchanged nervous looks with one another. "Where is he?"

"Light…" Jessie began, as she briefly looked toward Barret to make she had his attention as well. "Cloud never made it to the train station."

 _What?_

* * *

 **A/N: I'm hiding behind a brick wall over here, praying to god that I didn't screw this chapter up. I feel like I should add this tiny disclosure again…This is my first fanfic ever, as well as my first action chapter…so yeah…I'm a little nervous about it. In fact, I was so nervous about it that I actually let my good buddy, Jack Daniels, write a good chunk of it over the weekend lol. You'll have to let me know if he did a good job, or not! *wink wink!***

 **So what did you all think about the raid on Reactor no. 1? I tried my very hardest to keep things as true to the actual plot as possible. Did the characters seem ok, or did they seem too ooc? As I mentioned at the end of the last chapter, I am contemplating the occasional shift to Cloud's perspective now that he's in the story. The story will still be in third person, but so far it has primarily followed Lightning. I would like to occasionally shift gears and let the story follow Cloud so we can see things from both sides. I feel like we have a firm understanding of how Light feels about certain things, but Cloud is still a mystery. Keep in mind that it** _ **will not**_ **be a POV, or told from a first person perspective. Although, I would like to write a story from that angle! Maybe sometime in the future? If I did, would you all read it? ;-)**

 **As always, I want to thank everyone for taking time out of your day to read my crappy story lol. Thank you to everyone who has commented / followed / favorited this story. Your motivation is what keeps me going, so please, if you're new and like what you see, take a few minutes to shoot me a review! I love reading your feedback, and I love suggestions!**

 **Now, if you all will excuse me, I'm off to write a ten page paper on why the American political system sucks so bad lol. Have a wonderful night, or day, wherever you are!**

 **Love you all!**

 **-Lady A**


	7. Chapter 6: 7th Heaven

**A/N: OK, I know I said that it might be a while before I was able to post again, but I've been a little down on my luck lately and working on this chapter has been the only thing to successfully take my mind off things. Yesterday, I was involved in a car accident after dropping my daughter off at school. Thankfully no one was hurt, but I'm pretty sure that my car is totaled. So long Sonny the Sonata... *teardrops* I swear, I have the worst luck in the world with cars. After this, I vow to never buy a new car again. I only had the thing for 3 months and in those 3 months I had more close calls than I have in my entire 12 years of driving. Anyway, I'm a liar, and you all get this chapter much earlier than expected. I'm making small progress with my midterms. I finished one earlier in the week, and have still got one more to go. I may ask my professor for an extension because of the accident. I'm just having trouble staying focused on certain things, and I'm finding it extremely hard to write a lengthy paper on American politics when I can pretty much summarize the problem in only 5 words: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton! Lol. One of my guest reviewers cheered for "Team French!" I swear, I might be joining you all over there after this election…that may require me to learn an additional language, but hey, I'm down for that!**

 **As always, a special shout out to everyone who has supported me so far in my writing journey. Your kind words mean more to me than you will ever know. Many thanks to all of my lovely reviewers, old and new…You guys rock!**

 **Monking II** **(I was aiming to show the difference in the power scale, I'm glad you caught that.),** **Lumxna** **(I agree that Light was a tad ooc, but keep in mind that they're both going to have to be a little ooc for this story to work. If they both stayed 100% true to character, the story would only consist of them glaring at each other lol),** **The Sorrowful Deity** **(Better late than never! Glad to have you along for the ride!),** **Wolf777** **(Your review really made my day. Oh, and I'm loving 'A New World' so far! You're such an amazing writer!),** **MissTaarna** **(Lightning is my favorite FF character because she is the one I feel that I relate to the most, so writing from her perspective is easy for me. I tested the waters with Cloud in this chapter - I really hope I didn't mess it up. I know the two of them are very similar, but to me, he's harder to write because he's a guy…and well…I'm not lol.),** **Lumina** **,** **Warrick24** **, and finally my lovely** **guest** **reviewer…I love you all…This chapter is for you! Thanks for making me smile!**

 **Disclaimer time:**

 ***I do not own anything except for my imagination…Square-Enix owns everything else.**

 ***This is my longest chapter to date (19 pages in word), so please excuse any typos or small errors…Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 06 – 7th Heaven

Cloud felt the intense heat on his back as the explosion projected him and Lightning out onto the cold, hard streets of the Sector 1 slums. He landed very painfully on his stomach, and luckily, his position beneath Lightning shielded her from hitting the hard pavement at full force as well. However, on impact, she lost her grip from around his shoulders and slid forward into a broken wall. Cloud lay motionless for a few moments, trying to will the breath back into his deflated lungs as he stared at Lightning's motionless form a few feet away.

As Cloud pushed off the hard surface and rose to his feet, Barret tapped him on the shoulder with his gun arm and extended his hand out to return the buster sword. Returning the sword to his back, he turned and began to make his way toward Lightning to make sure she was okay, but Jessie had already beaten him to it. As much as he wanted to rush over to check on his pink haired comrade, Cloud decided to just back away and watch in silence as Jessie frantically shook the limp woman. Jessie's sudden appearance seemed to snap Lightning out of her daze and she coughed, slowly sat up and looked around in confusion. It was easy to tell that she was still weak from losing so much blood, and the explosion hadn't made things any easier for her.

"Alright," Barret roared suddenly, snapping his eyes away from the two women on the ground in front of him. "We need to get outta here. Rendezvous at Sector 8 station. Split up and get to the train!...Lightnin' you're comin' with me." He finished as he extended a hand to the pink haired warrior and pulled her to her feet. The group nodded in agreement before quickly dissipating in different directions. Cloud remained rooted to the spot as he stared at Barret and Lightning slowly making their way through the streets. Somehow, this image didn't feel right to him.

He didn't understand why, but he couldn't fight the strong urge to protect this woman. The very thought alone confused him and the more he thought about it, the sillier the thought became. They barely knew one another, hell, he'd only met the woman two hours ago. But something was different about her…every time their eyes had met, he had felt it. Perhaps it was because she didn't look at him like he was some sort of monster? She had stared into his mako infused eyes as if she thought they were beautiful, not as if they were something to be afraid of. His desire didn't end at simply wanting to protect the woman, he wanted to know more about her as well.

"H-hey!" He had shouted aloud, not even realizing what he had done until the two of them turned around to face him. _Good going, moron. What the hell are you even going to say?_

"If it's about your money, wait til we get back." Barret spat as he turned to face him. "I aint got time for this right now…Pinky ain't lookin' so hot and I gotta make sure she gets outta here in one damn piece." He was right, she didn't look very well at all. _I got her out of the reactor and I should be the one helping her now_ he reasoned with himself. _But, I can't say that, they'd both think I was crazy._

"That's not what I meant," Cloud countered icily. _Shit. Am I really doing this?_ "Are you sure you two are gonna be…" he continued hesitantly, looking between the two of them, trying to come up with his next words. "…Never mind." He huffed in frustration as he turned and sprinted in the opposite direction.

 _What the hell was I doing?_

Cloud raced through the streets toward the train station, trying to shake the pink haired woman from his mind. _Get a grip, man. She doesn't need your help…she doesn't want your help._ He had been so caught up in his thoughts of Lightning that he'd plowed straight into random woman as he rounded a corner about a block from the train station. The two of them collided with such force that they woman was knocked backward off her feet, sending flowers everywhere.

"Excuse me," the flower girl mumbled, as Cloud helped her to her feet and returned her basket, and then proceeded to hastily collect her scattered flowers. The woman dusted off her pink dress, before bending down to collect the scattered flowers as well. "What happened?" She inquired.

"Nothing!" Cloud answered quickly as if he had just been caught doing something naughty. _Great. Now, she's gonna know that you've been up to something..change the subject!_

"Don't see too many flowers around here," he recovered as he stared down at the woman's flowers. That was true. It had been months since he had seen flowers. Thanks to the reactors, Midgar wasn't exactly thriving in wildlife. Where in the world could she have collected all of these? People couldn't just leave Midgar…

"Oh, these…" She looked down at the flowers that were roughly shoved into her basket. "Do you like them? They're only one gil."

"Sure, why not." Cloud agreed. He had truly felt bad for knocking her down the way he had, so it was the least he could do to make up for it.

"Oh, thank you!" the woman squealed, truly delighted. "Here you are." She placed a pale pink rose in his hand, before bowing her head to him and walking away. Cloud remained stationary and continued to stare down at the flower for a few seconds. For some reason, the flower reminded him of Lightning - It was the exact same color as her hair. _Ugh! Get it together!_ He thought as he shook the image from his head and slid the rose into his pocket before continuing on his way.

"HEY!" a voice boomed out from behind as he continued through the streets. "You there!" Cloud turned his head to see several Shinra soldiers charging in his direction. They obviously thought he looked suspicious and there would probably be no reasoning with them, especially after the explosion. He decided not to fight and instead attempted to flee, only to be cut off by another group of soldiers that successfully cornered him on a bridge that was contructed over the train tracks.

 _Great…I'm going to have to fight_ , he thought as he placed his hand around the hilt of his sword, sizing up the soldiers in front of him. The soldiers were slowly closing in on him when the sound of a train whistle pierced his ears. _Maybe not,_ he thought in relief as he looked around at his surroundings and quickly formulated a plan. The timing would have to be perfect, but he if he did it right, he could get away unscratched.

"I don't have time to be messin' around with you guys." He stated as the whistle sounded again much closer.

"That's enough, grab him!" one of the soldiers commanded as the men rushed forward. Cloud gave a sly smile before he flung himself over the railing of the bridge and successfully landed on the train below.

 _Phew…that was close._

* * *

"Cloud never came," Jessie stated again as Lightning continued to look at her in bewilderment, unable to completely process the statement. Why hadn't Cloud made it to the train station? He had gotten a head start on her and Barret, so there's no reason that he shouldn't have made it. Unless he'd been caught…or if…

"Think he was killed?" Biggs asked finishing her thought.

"No way!" Barret shouted as he shot a death glare at the man, successfully silencing him.

"Cloud…" Jessie remarked thoughtfully. "…Guess he really was on our side." She added as she cast a guilty look in Lightning's direction. Nearly all of them had either internally or externally questioned Cloud's motives, and his actions in the reactor had proven them all wrong.

"If he's alive, do you think he's going to stay on and fight for AVALANCHE?" Biggs asked hopefully.

"How the hell would I know?!" Barret huffed in annoyance. "Do I look like a mind reader?"

The group sat in silence for several minutes. No one seemed quite sure what to say next. As much as Lightning looked forward to getting back to Sector 7 and the much needed rest that she so desperately needed, she couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to thoughts of the blonde man that had come to her aid back in the reactor. He wasn't dead…there was no way he could be. That man had been inhumanly strong and was the best fighter she had ever seen. He was an ex-SOLDIER…there was no way that he'd have been caught or killed by the enemy…unless he'd encountered another member of SOLDIER. Was that even possible? How many more SOLDIER members were there? Lightning's thoughts were cut short by a loud thud on the roof of the train.

"Ahhh" an unknown voice could be heard from above. Could the enemy have caught up to them? Lightning stood up and pulled her gunblade from behind her and extended it into sword mode and shakily walked toward the door. She was feeling significantly better now than she had after the explosion, but she wasn't sure if she'd be up for a fight just yet. She supposed that if push came to shove, she have to be in order to protect the rest of the group. Barret's mind seemed to be in the same place as hers as he suddenly appeared at her side and nodded with his gun raised towards the cargo door. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they heard footsteps making their way across the roof above them. Suddenly, the door slid open and Cloud flipped himself into the car.

"Cloud!" Lightning breathed in relief as she lowered her gunblade to her side.

"Looks like I'm a little late." Cloud smirked as he shook the black soot from his hair and clothes, and then looked around at the group.

"You damn right, you're late!" Barret shouted. "Come waltzin' in here makin' a in here makin' a big scene."

"It's no big scene," Cloud shrugged. "…Just what I always do."

"Goddammit!" Barret cursed waving his hands through the air in frustration. "Havin' everyone worried like that. You don't give a damn 'bout no one but yourself!"

"Hmm.." Cloud scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "You were worried about me?"

"Wha?!" Barret stopped dead in his tracks and stared dumbly at the man, clearly lost for words. He continued staring at the blonde man for several seconds before finally responding with the only comeback he could come up with. "That's comin' outta your share, hot shot!" he huffed before turning toward the door. "We're movin' out, follow me!" he added to the rest of the group.

"Hey, Cloud! You were great back there!" Wedge praised before following his leader from the car.

"Heh heh…Cloud!" Biggs laughed as he slapped him on the back. "We'll do even better next time" he added as he followed his comrades into the next car.

Jessie got up from her seat and proceeded to the open door that Cloud had appeared from. "Careful, I'll shut this." She said as she slid the door tightly closed and turned around to face him. "Oh, Cloud! Your face is pitch black.." she remarked as she pulled a spare piece of cloth from her pocket and wiped his face clean. "There you go!" she finished as she pocketed the cloth and turned toward the door. "Say…thanks for helping me and Lightning back there at the reactor!" she smiled as she disappeared leaving Lightning and Cloud alone. The two stood in uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Cloud finally spoke up.

"So…do you plan on using that thing?" he asked casually giving her a cocky grin.

"What?" she responded in confusion.

"Your sword," he nodded to the fully extended weapon that she still held tightly at her side.

"Oh…no. Sorry." She added quickly as she folded her weapon and returned it to its holster.

"That's good, I guess," he chuckled before making his way to the door.

"Wait!" Lightning called and the man came to an abrupt halt, turning to face her. "Um…thanks for helping me back there."

"No problem," Cloud nodded as he disappeared from the car as well.

 _Last train out of Sector 8 Station. Last stop is Sector 7, Train Graveyard. Expected time of arrival is 01:23am, Midgar Standard time._ The announcement cut through the silence just as Lightning stepped into the next car and saw the now scattered members of AVALANCHE. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were positioned in the front of the car. Biggs and Wedge were in deep conversation, while Jessie stood alone and tinkering with what looked like a computer mounted onto the wall. Barret was seated in the middle of the car, with his legs crossed as he stared irritably out the opposite window at the blurry images that were dancing by. Cloud had chosen to stand awkwardly in the back of the car by himself. Remaining in the back of the car next to Cloud somehow felt too uncomfortable for her liking, but she didn't want to sit next to an irritable Barret either, so that left one option.

"Hey, Light," Jessie smiled as she approached. "You want to look at this with me? It's a map of the Midgar rail system. Let's look at it together. I like this kinda stuff..Bombs and monitors..you know, flashy stuff." She added as the screen came to life, displaying a 3D model of the city.

"This is a complete model of the city of Midgar." She began gesturing to the image on the screen. "It's about a 1/10000 scale. The top plate is about 50 meters above the ground. A main pillar supports the plate in the center, and there are other support pillars built in each section…" she continued before dropping into a whisper. "The No. 1 reactor we blew up was the northern section," she paused before resuming at regular volume again. "Then there's No. 2 and No. 3 all the way up to the No. 8 reactor. The 8 reactors provide Midgar with electricity. Each town used to have a name, but no one remembers them. So instead of names, we refer to them as numbered sectors. That's how things turned out." Lightning continued to stare at the screen in wonder as the image of the city continued to slowly spin. Say what you want about Midgar, but she had to admit that its construction was impressive.

"Look..This is the route the train is on." Jessie added pointing to a path on the screen. "The loop spirals around the main pillar…We should be coming around the main pillar right now. There are several security checkpoints, and each checkpoint has an ID sensor device which checks the identities and backgrounds of each passenger on the train and is linked up to the central data bank at Shinra headquarters." Jessie dropped her voice to a barely audible whisper again, "we definitely look suspicious, so we're using fake ID's."

"Speak of the devil," Jessie said loudly just as a blaring alarm filled their ears and a red laser beam passed through the train. "That light means that we're in the ID security check area…but we're almost back now…what a relief." She finished as the computer screen in front of them went dark again.

"Look!" Barret exclaimed, as the rest of the group turned to face him. "You can see the surface now," he continued as he craned his neck to look out the window behind him. "This city don't have no day or night…If that plate weren't there, we could see the sky."

If that plate was not there, everyone in the slums would be dead, Lightning thought bitterly. Who in their right mind would view that as a good idea in the first place? Jessie had described the plate's support system during her presentation of Midgar, and if every section of Midgar really had a pillar support system, what was to stop someone from tampering with it and bringing the pillar crashing down on them all? Lightning shuddered at the thought. How many thousands would die if one of those sections of the plate were to come down?

"A floating city…Pretty unsettling scenery," Cloud remarked, breaking Lightning from her unpleasant thoughts. Of course he was right..she hadn't even considered the people living on the top of the plate. The damage caused by the plate falling would be detrimental to both sides of the city. It wouldn't just affect the people in the slums, but the people living on top as well.

"Never thought ta hear that outta someone like you," Barret responded proudly with an ear to ear smile stretching across his face. "…You jus' full of surprises tonight." He added as he shot a quick glance in Lightning's direction. It was obvious that he was just as surprised by Cloud's behavior earlier in the reactor.

"The upper world…a city on a plate…" Barret began as he stood up to address the group. "It's 'cuz of that fuckin' 'pizza' that people underneath are sufferin'! The city below is full of polluted air…on top'a that, the reactors keep on drainin' up all the energy."

"Then why doesn't everyone just move onto the plate?" Cloud wondered aloud.

"Dunno," Barret relied turning to face him. "Probably 'cuz they ain't got no money. Or, maybe…because they love their land, no matter how polluted it gets."

"I know…" Cloud sighed as he stared out the window. "No one lives in the slums because they want to. It's like this train. It can't run anywhere except where its rails take it." The entire group remained silent as he finished his thought. Maybe Cloud really did understand what the group was fighting for? Was it possible that he truly cared about saving the people in this city? The tone in his voice supported this theory, so Lightning had to wonder if his impassive attitude was really an act to cover up something else. But what…? The train came to a halt in the Sector 7 train station, as the attendant announced their arrival. The tired group filed through the exit and assembled on the platform outside.

"Yo! Get over here, all'ya!" Barret boomed from the bottom of the stairwell. "This mission was a success, but don't get lazy now. The hard part's still to come! Don't y'all be scared of that explosion…Cause the next one's gonna be bigger than that!" He added as he looked at each member's face. "Meet back at the hideout! Move out!"

The small group disbanded and took off in different directions. Lightning was unsure where the "hideout" was, so she decided to stick close to Jessie. As the two of them made their way to the heart of the slums, Lightning couldn't help but feel a little anxious. After tonight, Shinra would no doubt retaliate against the small group. Surely the Mega Corporation had some idea about where the group was based, or perhaps even had intel on the members of AVALANCHE…and if they had somehow been caught on any security feeds…well…Shinra very well may strike tonight.

Lightning and Jessie had arrived in what appeared to be a town square of sorts that had been built around a small shabby building with the name '7th Heaven' painted above the doorframe. The sound of gunshots had the two them sprinting towards the bars entrance ready for a fight, but the sight they encountered stopped them dead in their tracks. Barret emerged from the building's entrance behind a group of terrified patrons waving his arms through the air as if he had completely lost his mind. The two of them carefully approached the mad man who stood grouchily at the top of the steps with his arms now crossed as he watched the patrons scatter into the slums. The scene had apparently caught Cloud's attention as well, because he suddenly materialized out of nowhere and was charging toward them.

"OK! Go on ahead," Barret ushered them inside just as Cloud reached the foot of the stairs and began glaring at him.

As Lightning stepped through the entrance with Cloud and Jessie, she found herself standing in a relatively small room that contained a bar, two tables, a tiny kitchen, as well as some sort of arcade video game set up against the wall. Biggs and Wedge were already seated at one of the two tiny tables, stuffing their faces with food, and there was a very beautiful woman with long brown hair working behind the bar.

"Papa!" a young girl called out before emerging from the kitchen.

 _Papa? Is Cloud her father?_ Lightning's internal question was instantly answered when the girl's face plummeted at the sight of the three of them, and she immediately retreated back a little as if she were afraid.

"Marlene!" the bartender called as she made her way from behind the bar to follow the child. "Aren't you going to say anything to Cloud?" The girl called Marlene didn't respond to the woman's question, and instead looked at her feet nervously. The woman pat the child gently on the head before turning to face the three of them.

"Welcome home, Cloud," she beamed as her crimson eyes lit up with delight at the sight of him. "Looks like everything went well." She added as her eyes scanned over the group, briefly landing on Lightning for a moment before turning them back to Cloud. "Did you fight with Barret?" she asked jokingly.

"Yeah," Cloud chuckled.

"I should have known," the woman snorted. "He's always pushing people around, and you've always been in fights ever since you were little. I was worried." She added before turning to Lightning. "I don't think we've met. I'm Tifa, and you are?" she asked as she extended her hand giving Lightning a warm smile.

"Lightning," Lightning responded as she shook the woman's hand. Tifa was slim, but very muscular for a woman. Her long brown hair extended well past her knees and was tied loosely behind her. She wore a black mini skirt that really accentuated her long, toned legs and a white cropped top that did the same with her…upper body. Lightning had honestly never seen a woman that was as "well-equipped" as Tifa.

"Nice to meet you," Tifa continued to smile. "I like your hair."

"Uh…thanks," Lightning answered, unsure if that had been a compliment or had been meant as a joke.

"A flower? How nice…" Tifa remarked, turning back to Cloud who had pulled a pink rose from his pocket. "You almost never see them here in the slums," she added as she looked at the flower longingly. "But..a flower for me? Oh Cloud, you shouldn't have…"

 _Oh…she must be his girlfriend._

"Actually, it's for Marlene," Cloud replied as he handed the rose to the small child who took it excitedly. Tifa, on the other hand, looked quite disappointed.

 _Guess not…_

Lightning felt a pull on her arm as Jessie began to guide her over to the table to sit with the rest of the group. Upon sitting, Wedge gave her a sincere smile and pushed a bowl and a pot filled with soup in her direction. "Tifa has the best cooking," he praised before returning his attention to his own food.

"Aaah! Nothing like the first drink after a job!" Biggs slurred. "Why don't you have one too?" he asked as he nudged a bottle of whiskey in her direction.

"That probably wouldn't be a good idea," Lightning remarked before filling her bowl with the wonderful smelling soup. That had been an understatement. It would most definitely not be a good idea…especially after the night she's had. Consuming alcohol would probably be right up at the top of the list for the worst things you could possibly do after receiving a life threatening injury.

"Papa!" Marlene cried, as Barret rushed through the door. "Welcome home!" The small child ran to Barret, who scooped her up playfully and sat her on his shoulder.

"Hey! Where'd you get that flower?" Barret asked gently as he looked at the rose that Marlene dangled in his face.

"Cloud gave it to me," Marlene responded happily.

"Oh..?" Barret turned slightly to look at the blonde in disbelief. "Well, did you thank him?"

"Thank you, Cloud," the girl mumbled shyly as she twirled the rose between her fingers.

"You alright, Barret?" Tifa asked as she walked toward him.

"Great!" Barret laughed as he playfully tickled his daughter who squealed in delight. "Get in here fools! We're startin' the meeting!" he continued to laugh as he made his way toward the arcade game, which really turned out to be an elevator. The rest of the group began to make their way to the room below as well, leaving Cloud and Tifa behind. As the elevator whirled to life under Lightning's feet and began to descend, she saw Cloud take a seat at the bar.

"Care for a drink?" Tifa asked as she made her way behind the bar.

"I don't really feel like it," Cloud sighed in exhaustion before he disappeared from her view.

 _I wonder what's bothering him?_

Lightning's eyes were flooded with light as she fully emerged in the room below. As she looked around, she noticed a large television mounted on the wall that was programmed on the Midgar news. Tonight's breaking news: Explosion in Reactor no. 1! There were also many computers spread throughout the room, as well as several bulletin boards with important headlines attached to them. In the middle of the room was a very large table that was littered with diagrams and old newspapers, and in the corner was a punching bag that Barret was already knocking around. Clearly this was AVALANCHE'S 'headquarters'. Upon entering the room, Biggs and Wedge took their places at the large table and Jessie proceeded to one of the computers and began working. Lightning chose to stand close to Jessie and waited patiently for the meeting to begin. The elevator whirled to life once more, and within seconds Cloud appeared next to her.

"Yo! Cloud! There's somethin' I wanna ask ya!" Barret panted as he turned around to face the blonde man. "Was there anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today?"

"None," Cloud responded as he furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "I'm positive."

"You sound pretty sure," Barret countered, almost as if he didn't believe him.

"If there was anyone from SOLDIER, you wouldn't be standing here now," Cloud stated firmly as he placed a hand cockily on his hip.

"Don't go thinkin' you so bad jus' cuz you was in SOLDIER!" Barret growled as he took an aggressive step forward and Biggs rushed to restrain him, which only caused Barret to thrash around wildly in anger. Cloud appeared to be bored with the situation and turned around and crossed his arms, just as Barret slung Biggs across the room causing Marlene to cry out in fear.

"Yeah," Barret panted as he looked at his daughter in shame before deciding to calm down for her sake. "You're strong. Probably all them guys in SOLDIER are…but don't forget that your skinny ass's workin' for AVALANCHE now! Don't get no ideas 'bout hangin' on to Shinra."

"Staying with Shinra?" Cloud asked in disgust as he turned back around to face Barret. "You asked me a question, and I answered it…that's all." He added as he crossed the room and positioned himself challengingly in Barret's face. "I'm going upstairs. I want to talk about my money." He spat before turning quickly to walk towards the elevator, nearly plowing through Tifa who had suddenly appeared behind him.

"Wait Cloud," she pleaded as she grabbed his hands in desperation.

"Tifa, let him go!" Barret commanded causing her to jump and quickly release his hands. "Looks like he still misses Shinra." He added sourly as he continued to shoot daggers at Cloud with his brown eyes.

"SHUT UP!" Cloud roared as he angrily turned to face the dark skinned man once again. "I don't care about Shinra or SOLDIER…but don't get me wrong, I don't care about AVALANCHE or the planet either for that matter." He stated firmly as he looked around to gauge everyone's shocked reactions before boarding the elevator and disappearing again. Barret seemed to lose it completely as he turned his back to the group and began to take his frustration out his on the punching bag. Tifa remained rooted to the spot for a few moments in deep thought, before she darted off towards the elevator as well, eager to catch up with the blonde.

 _Well, that could have gone better._

"Dammit!" Barret swore as he turned around and looked at the remainder of the group. "Sorry y'all had'ta see that." He apologized as he sank miserably into a chair at the table and ran his large hand across his sweaty face. "Pinky, sit down! Ya look like you're gonna fall over," he commanded as he kicked out a chair for her. It was true, she felt absolutely awful, and honestly couldn't wait to go home. "Ya know, I've been thinkin'…" he continued, "you're pretty good at plannin' out shit and your skinny ass's got some pretty decent moves. Do'ya wanna hang around and help out with our next mission? I'll pay ya, o'course."

Lightning sat for a few moments, silently contemplating Barret's question. She could feel Jessie's expectant gaze burning a hole through the side of her head as she took her time to mull things over and weigh her options. On one hand, the work that she could do with AVALANCHE would be good for not only Midgar, but the planet the as well. They could be potentially saving millions of lives long term. On the other hand, their work was potentially causing many causalities here and now. Not to mention the inevitable backlash they could no doubt expect from Shinra. If Shinra found out who was behind the assault on Reactor no. 1, they would probably not hesitate to try and take them out by any means necessary, damn the consequences and collateral damage. Either way, innocent people were going to die…whether it be hundreds to thousands here and now, or the entire population later on down the road. It was more of a question of when than how. Thinking of it that way, made her choice seem easy.

"Count me in," she finally nodded to Barret.

"Good," he responded with a halfcocked smile before looking around to address the rest of the group. "Listen up! Tonight was a success, but our job's far from over. We're headin' out tomorrow night for Reactor no. 5. I figure those Shinra creep'll be so wrapped up in tryin' to figure out what happened in Sector 1 that they won't be expectin' a second attack. Go home an' get some rest. We meet back here at 22:00 tomorrow night." He added before getting up and leaving the room.

Lightning rose from her seat and proceeded toward the elevator with Jessie trailing behind her. As they reached the top, they saw Tifa busy cleaning up behind the bar, while Barret sat at a table eating what was left over from the soup. Cloud, however, was nowhere to be seen. _I wonder if they worked everything out between them?_ She wondered before she and Jessie said their goodbyes to the two of them and left the bar to make their way home. Jessie had remained silent for most of the long walk, and now lay sound asleep in her bed. Although she was both physically and mentally drained, Lightning couldn't sleep tonight, and instead lay awake staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't seem to shake the blonde man from her head long enough for sleep to claim her. He seemed to be the most erratic person that she had ever met in her life. One moment he was acting as if he didn't care about anything at all, the next he was saving her life and refusing to abandon her, and then on the train he had almost given the impression that he really cared about the mission after all, and then in the bar tonight, he managed to end up at square one all over again.

All of his emotional flip flopping was enough to give her whiplash, but she couldn't seem to stop thinking about the man. The memories of their time in the reactor as well as those immediately succeeding them kept replaying in her head over and over. He had been so determined to get her out of the reactor alive and had even downright refused to leave her behind when she had demanded it. Why had he acted this way? Why hadn't he just left her behind to die? Would she have done the same for him if the roles had been reversed? And, what was all that about after the explosion? He looked as if he were genuinely upset that Barret was… _No! That's crazy!_ What was there to be upset about? She was obviously reading too far into this. It was time to stop thinking about _him_ and focus on the upcoming mission.

 _I wonder if he'll come tomorrow._ She thought as her mind refused to change the subject. The mission would go much smoother if Cloud stayed on their team, there was no doubt about that. She considered herself and Barret to be pretty decent fighters, but they didn't hold a candle to Cloud's abilities. His time in SOLDIER, along with whatever else they had done to him while he was there, had molded him into a lean, mean, killing machine, and he was an opponent that she hoped she'd never have to face in battle. What in the world could Shinra have done to him to make him move and fight like that? The man almost didn't seem human. She knew that the members of SOLDIER were genetically modified, but how? The possibilities alone made her shudder. Is that why he seems to hate Shinra so much?

 _What did they do to him?_

* * *

 **A/N: I know, I know. This was a boring chapter. Not much in terms of action, but this was another necessary chapter for story development. I'm sure you all noticed that I left out Tifa's little flashback with Cloud. It seemed a little too CloudxTifa to me, and this is a CloudxLight fanfic so it had to go! *Throws scene out the window!* I've had a guest reviewer bring up the "love square" between Cloud, Light, Tifa and Aeris, so I'll go ahead mention this: There really won't be a "square", per say…it'll be more like Tifa and Aeris both fawning over Cloud as they do in the game, only for him to dismiss them exactly as he does in the game. Don't get me wrong though, there's going to be some serious jealousy down the road, especially from Miss Tifa…but in the end, Cloud's only going to have eyes for Light. It's sort of already started between them. They already can't stop thinking about one another lol. Don't worry, though. I'll make sure that it stays interesting! The next chapter will take us to Reactor no. 5, which means more action!**

 **Once again, I apologize for any typos or errors you may have found in this chapter. I pretty much cranked this thing out in one sit down and didn't do very much in terms of editing. Once I pass about 12-15 pages, I don't really feel like doing much editing lol. Maybe I should look into recruiting a beta reader? I'd ask my significant other to look it over, but he likes to affectionately refer to this as "Fifty Shades of Cloud", so I highly doubt that he'd take it seriously. Also, he's never played FFVII or FFXIII, so he wouldn't be much help anyway.**

 **As always, thanks so much for reading, and thank you to everyone who has followed / favorited the story or me personally. If you like what you saw here, please take a few minutes to leave me a review. My current emotional state is in serious need of some love and support.**

 **Love you all so much! Have a wonderful night!**

 **-Lady A**


	8. Chapter 7: The Gift

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back and officially done with midterms, so that's one thing off my list of stressors. Heard back from my insurance company on Monday…my car is totaled (not surprising). I'm pretty bummed about it. But you know, life goes on. Thanks to everyone who checked on me by either review or by PM. I am truly overwhelmed by the amount of love and support I've received from you all over the past few days. You all are amazing, and quite honestly, are better friends than most the ones I have in real life. So, thanks again for showing me so much love. It means the world to me.**

 **I always have to begin with this, so thanks to everyone who has followed / favorited / or reviewed the story:**

 **The Sorrowful Diety** **– Your question about materia will be answered here, so in a sense, this chapter is truly dedicated to you. Oh, and thanks for looking out for me during the weekend "crash". You're awesome!**

 **Wolf777** **-Your comment made me laugh. Yes, the fact that we have 318mil people in this country and came up with those two is a little scary. You should youtube the Saturday Night Live skits on the two debates. They're hilarious! Make sure you're being safe on that bike of yours. I don't know how people are over there, but people here can be real a-holes to motorcyclists. Always wear your helmet, and all that good stuff!**

 **Okikun** **– Your review made me tear up a bit. You make me out to be something much more than I am. Yes - I'm a mom, a student, and, by my standards, a barely acceptable writer…but more than anything, I'm just a girl who's trying to find her place in the world. I'm 28 years old and still have no idea where I fit in. I would love to check out your fanfic. You can PM it to me if you want!**

 **Warrick24** **– I'll do my best to not make Aeris seem helpless. I'm not a fan of weak female characters, so I'll try my very best to give her some badass qualities…just for you!**

 **Monking II – I feel like I've been utilizing every therapeutic outlet available to me over the past few days and still can't break out of my funk. I seriously feel like I'm going through the five stages of grief with my car. On the bright side: I'm clearly in the depression phase, so that means that acceptance should be coming up next. Maybe there is a light at the end of this damn tunnel. I'm usually a glass half full kind of girl, but my bad luck this year had begun to weigh heavily on me.**

 **Lumxna** **– Your English is just fine and I understand everything you said. Sorry you've had a rough week. I'm right there with you, so I feel your pain. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.**

 **MissTaarna** **– I believe the names you're searching for there are "Giant Douche and Turd Sandwich" lol…Omg, South Park is my show! There are few things that I'll actually turn on the television for, and SP is one of them. New episode tonight, by the way! You know, Canada would actually be my first choice if I moved, followed by the uk. Who am I kidding though? I'll probably never get out of this stupid redneck backwards state I was unfortunate enough to be born into.**

 **Astrea Eurshia** **– Did we have a name change? lol**

 **Disclaimer:**

 ***I own my imagination, Square-Enix owns the rest.**

 ***typos and error once again…still thinking about that Beta reader thing lol.**

* * *

Chapter 07 – The Gift

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!" Jessie called as she shook Lightning from her slumber. Lightning's stomach rumbled angrily at the mention of food, but she knew that Jessie had only meant that statement figuratively. She squeezed her eyes shut, while pulling the blanket over her face to release a weary sigh into the fabric. What she wouldn't give for some actual eggs and bacon right about now. Instead Jessie yanked the blanket back playfully and nodded toward a small plate on the table that contained a can of meat and a few crackers, and sitting beside the plate was her morning cup of sludge. During her time in the Guardian Corps., she had been used to living on rations and sometimes even had to survive on some pretty nasty things, but this food was ridiculous. How anyone managed to survive on this stuff was beyond her.

 _Man…instead of raiding the reactors, maybe we should be raiding the food warehouses?_ Lightning thought bitterly as she continued to survey her pathetic excuse of a breakfast. She had been living in Midgar for just over a week now, and so far, she'd consumed approximately two legitimate meals - the first being on her very first night in the slums courtesy of Jessie, and the second being the previous night courtesy of Tifa. Even before she had landed in this mess, it had been Serah that had taken care of her. Serah had been a wonderful cook…Lightning, not so much. Had it not been for her sister, she probably would have lived on MRE's. But, hell! Midgar's rations made those pathetic MRE's look like fine cuisine.

"Gee…it's not that bad, is it?" Jessie asked, finally noticing Lightning repulsion to the food.

"No, not at all." Lighting quickly lied in an attempt to cover, but she could see that Jessie saw right through her facade. "It's just…I'm still not used to life here in the slums. Things weren't like this back on Cocoon. Thanks to the Fal'Cie, good food was never an issue. I guess you could say that we were spoiled." Lightning explained, hoping that Jessie wouldn't take offense.

"Maybe Shinra could learn a thing or two from these Fal'Cie?" Jessie responded as she sank into the couch next to Lightning.

"Yeah, sure" Lightning snorted. "As long as you don't mind participating in a mass sacrifice!"

"Oh..yeah. Forgot about that little detail," Jessie chuckled. "Say, why don't we scrap this food and head over to 7th Heaven for a proper breakfast? Tifa is an amazing cook, ya know. Maybe we can convince her to whip us up something." Jessie didn't need to ask twice. Lightning shot up from the couch as fast as her body could move, quickly ran her fingers through her messy pink locks, and then grabbed her gunblade to holster it behind her. "Guess that's a yes." Jessie laughed again before getting up to grab her own belongings and then following Lightning out the door.

* * *

When they walked through the doors of 7th Heaven, they were immediately met with the powerful aroma of food. The bar had not yet been opened for business, so the small room sat just as empty and devoid of patrons as it had the previous night. The space had been cleaned spotlessly overnight, and most of the chairs had been flipped over and now sat neatly on top of the tables. In the corner of the room, Tifa stood working diligently over the stove, and at one of the small tables sat Barret, Marlene and, to Lightning's surprise, Cloud.

 _Guess Cloud and Tifa worked everything out._

"Jess..Pinky!" Barret cheered happily at their arrival, causing the others to look in their direction as well. The man seemed to be in a relatively good mood today, so Lightning could only assume that he and Cloud must have patched things up as well.

"Hi, guys!" Tifa beamed as she made her way from the kitchen and sat a large bowl of eggs and a plate of toast on the table. "Have a seat and help yourselves, there's plenty to go around!" Lightning returned the brunette's smile as she proceeded to the table, sat opposite to Cloud and began helping herself to the delicious smelling food.

"Anyone care for some coffee?" Tifa asked as she returned to the table with a coffeepot and surveyed the group. She immediately noted Jessie and Barret who shook their heads in tandem before turning to Lightning and Cloud who both gave a quick nod. "Okay," she smiled as she sat two mugs on the table and began to pour. "How do you like it?" she continued to smile as she looked between the two of them.

"Black," they said in unison before turning to look at each other in surprise. Jessie let out a soft giggle from beside her and Lightning quickly adverted her eyes back to her plate of food. Tifa's smile had vanished and now her burning gaze danced back and forth between the two of them. "Okay." She acknowledged quietly. "Well, if either of you change your mind, the sugar and cream are in the kitchen." She gave the pair one last critical look before returning to the kitchen to clean up.

"Awright, while I got most of ya here." Barret began as the group dug into their food. "We need'ta make sure everything's good'ta go before we meet up tonight." He continued as he looked at Lightning, who have a nod of approval. _Looks like he's learning._ "I need'ta meet with Jessie to talk about the explosive. The type of bomb we used last night was too risky. We barely made it outta there alive. So, we'll be workin' on that today. Tifa's managin' the bar and lookin' after Marlene, so Spiky and Pinky, I'll need y'all to run out and grab some supplies for tonight. Nothin' fancy..jus' some potions an' general shit like that."

"Uh..sure," Lightning responded hesitantly as she looked at her blonde comrade who shared her uncertain gaze. _I'm sure this won't be awkward at all._

After their plates were clean, the group thanked Tifa for breakfast before going their separate ways. Jessie and Barret retreated downstairs to headquarters, and Cloud and Lightning began to make their way to the front door. Tifa delivered her farewells from behind the bar, but Lightning couldn't help but notice the odd look that Tifa had given her. She almost looked as if she were upset about something, but what could she possibly have to be upset about?

 _Did I do something wrong?_

Tifa's unusual behavior continued to bother Lightning throughout the shopping trip. She had expected her time with Cloud to be awkward, but her mind was so preoccupied that the fact that she was alone with him didn't seem to register. She had barely paid any attention to where they had traveled as she continued to blindly follow Cloud as he made his way from shop to shop collecting items for their upcoming mission.

"Wait here," he instructed, suddenly jerking her from her thoughts of the angry brunette. She decided not to question and instead gave a quick nod as he disappeared into yet another shop. He returned a few moments later holding a small brown box, which she assumed could only be a gift for Tifa. The two of them made their way back to the bar in silence, and they had barely reached the steps, when Cloud unexpectedly stopped her.

"Hey, Lightning," he began nervously. "I-uh…got you something," he mumbled as he held out the box for her.

 _Wait...what?_

"Huh?" Lightning asked as she stared at him in complete bewilderment. She definitely had not expected the gift to be for her. Why would Cloud buy her something anyway? "W-What is it?" she asked as she continued to stare at the box with uncertainty.

"Open it," he commanded as he placed the nearly weightless parcel in her hand. She nervously fumbled with the flaps of the small parcel before successfully prying them open. As she pulled the flaps away, she gazed down at a small green orb that was similar to the one Cloud had used to heal her the night before.

"What is this?" she asked curiously as her fingers hovered over the small orb which seemed to make her arm hair stand on end. The orb in question was no larger in size than a marble and when she wrapped her fingers tightly around it, she could feel its power rushing through her veins. It almost felt as if she were holding a ball of electricity in the palm of her hand. This realization nearly caused her to drop the tiny orb in shock. Cloud stared at her in amusement before finally explaining.

"It's called 'materia', he clarified. Materia is a form of crystallized mako. There are five known types of materia: magic, summon, command, support, and independent. Greens are magic - some are curative, and others are elemental or status inducing. Reds are summons, yellows are commands, blue is for support, and purple represents independent. This one in particular is a magic materia…more specifically, a lightning materia. I thought it would be fitting for you," he chuckled before pressing on. "Materia grants the user with its power…so, as long as you have that equipped, you have the power of…"

"A l'Cie." The words had left her lips before she had even realized what she had said.

"I'm sorry?" Cloud asked in confusion as he gave her a perplexed look.

S _hit. Did I say that out loud?_

"N-Never mind," She quickly recovered as she stared at the tiny ball with increased interest. "Ok…this is a lightning materia, so how does it work?"

"It's pretty simple," he assured, picking up the marble sized ball and rotating it between his fingers. "You can either slot it into your weapon, or you can absorb it directly into your skin." He explained as he pulled his sword from his back and held it out in front of him. "Look here," he pointed to the two circular slots near the hilt. "These are for slotting materia. If I insert this here, I can use the magic in conjunction with my attacks. For example, if I attacked with this materia equipped it wouldn't be a regular attack, it would be a…"

"Sparkstrike," Lightning cut in, causing Cloud to look at her curiously again.

"So you've had experience with materia?" he questioned.

"No." Lighting shook her head. "Just a lucky guess," Cloud didn't seem convinced as he continued to search her with his scrutinizing gaze.

"Ok…as I was saying," he continued, "you can insert them into a weapon or you can insert them into other equipment such as bracers or shields." He held out his left arm to show her the slots on his own bracer. Equipment works a little differently. With weapons, the materia allows you to attack with the element or status ailment, but with armor, it only allows you to cast the spell."

"I see," Lightning said, as Cloud returned the oversized sword to his back.

"And, finally…" he said as he as he gently grasped her right hand and turned her arm over to expose her wrist. For some reason his touch sent an unusual shiver down her spine, but luckily he didn't seem to notice. "You can directly absorb them into your body," he added as he placed the green marble directly over her forearm, which once again caused her arm hairs to stand on end. Lightning was stunned when the orb suddenly vanished into her arm and she could feel the familiar electric current coursing through her body. It felt…good, really good. Even if the powers of the l'Cie had been cursed, she had to admit they had made her feel more powerful than ever before. As she flexed her fingers, she turned from Cloud and began searching for a suitable target to test her new powers on.

"Careful," Cloud warned as we watched her with great interest. "First timers usually…" he was suddenly interrupted as her hand cut through the air and sent a bolt of lightning crashing into a nearby pile of rubble, which earned her a proud look from the blonde. "Are you sure you've never done this before?" he asked suspiciously as he cocked an eyebrow. "First timers usually have trouble getting the materia to work properly for them. Either the spell doesn't work at all, or the aim is way off."

"No," Lightning responded as she shook her head again. "I can honestly say that I have never used materia before…now, how do you take this out?" she asked curiously as she studied her forearm.

"Here," Cloud said as he once again reached for her hand causing the familiar shiver to run down her spine once again. "Just hold your other hand over it like this," he placed his left hand over her arm, "and it will come out on its own…just like this," he finished as the green orb suddenly resurfaced as if it were being magnetically pulled by his hand. He released his hold on her hand and returned the materia to its box.

"So, which way would you recommend using it?" Lightning inquired.

"Well, directly absorbing it makes the spell more powerful, but personally, I like to equip them to my sword and armor. Doing it that way allows you to have more spells at your disposal…but it's a personal preference. Let me see your sword." He demanded. Lightning retrieved her gunblade from behind her and extended it into sword mode before surrendering it. Cloud took her weapon and carefully examined it. "I've never seen a piece like this before," he observed. "What's it called, and where did you get it?"

"It's a gunblade," Lightning stated. "It was issued to me when I was still a soldier."

"Hmm." Cloud hummed in acknowledgment as he continued to look over the weapon before pausing at the Cocoon script engraved into the blade. "Is this another language? What does it say?"

"It says…" Lightning began, but suddenly her words seemed to get stuck in her throat. Was she really going to do this? Surely if she spoke the words, it would lead to a full scale assault of questions from the blonde. Telling Jessie the truth of her heritage was one thing, but telling Cloud was something else entirely. Jessie had saved her from the streets of Midgar, given her a home, been a friend, earned her trust…and so far, Cloud had….also saved her life, and seemed to be trying to earn her trust now. Cloud had given her no reason to not trust him, and for some reason, she hated the idea of lying to the man. Lightning took a deep breath and decided to face the wave of questions head on. "It says…Invoke my name, I am spark." Cloud's eyes flashed up at her words and locked onto her own. She could feel his cerulean gaze penetrating her own pale aqua eyes as if he were trying to search the very depths of her soul for the answers to his unspoken questions. The two stood in silence for a few moments before Cloud finally broke eye contact and resumed his study of her weapon.

"Uh-Nearly all weapons are built to accommodate materia," he continued on, "but this one doesn't seem to have any slots. Who did you say made it?" he asked curiously as he turned the weapon over in his hand.

"I didn't," Lightning corrected. "It was made by a weapons specialist named Lenora. She ran a shop back in my hometown. Nearly all military issued weapons came from her shop." Lightning finished trying to gauge his reaction. She waited for the question to come, but for some reason, it never did. Instead, Cloud continued to study the weapon before beginning his unsuccessful attempt to fold it. "Like this," she inserted as she guided his hand to the release mechanism. "Once in gun mode, it functions similar to a semi-automatic pistol. The magazine is here," she added as she pointed to the bottom of the hilt.

"Interesting," Cloud mumbled as he continued to stare at the weapon. "I've really never seen anything like this before." He added as he passed the gunblade back to its owner.

 _I'm sure you haven't._

"Like I was saying," Cloud continued getting back on subject, "most weapons have built in materia slots, but yours doesn't. So if you are thinking about equipping materia, I'd either look for a different weapon or only equip them to your armor. Mind if I..?" he gestured to her armor. Lightning liked to keep her sword arm clear of any bulky armor, so nearly every piece she wore was on her left arm. Cloud inspected her pauldron, and then her black cut resistant sleeve, before finally making his way down to her hand, and inspected her glove. "Your armor is really strange. Nearly every weapon and piece of equipment on Gaia has slots for materia, but there are none on yours," he stated as he turned her hand over to inspect the brass knuckles on the other side.

"Ahem!" A voice interrupted from the top of the stairs causing the two of them to jump apart as if a fire had been lit between them. The pair looked up to see the very irritable face of Tifa standing in the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked as her crimson eyes moved suspiciously between the two of them.

"Um, n-no!" Lightning stuttered, unable to hide her embarrassment. She could feel the heat rise in her face as the brunette continued to stare at her. She had to admit that from a bystander's perspective, this looked like something entirely different than what it really was. As innocent as Cloud's motives had been, she could see how Tifa could misconstrue the whole thing and assume they had been holding hands.

"Not really," Cloud assured as he shifted his gaze to the brunette. "Lightning has never used materia before, so I was showing her the basics….you know…equipping it to weapons and armor." Tifa didn't seem convinced as she continued to shift her accusing gaze between the two of them, but seemed to relent as Cloud's hard gaze burnt straight through her own.

"Okay," she responded as her gaze shifted to Cloud and immediately softened. "You two've been gone for a long time and Barret wanted me to come find you. He wants to talk to you about something," she added as her frown transformed into a warm smile.

"Sure, tell him I'll be right in." Cloud responded as Tifa's eyes danced between the two of them again before disappearing into the bar. Cloud nodded to Lightning before ascending the steps as well.

"Hey," Lightning called after the blonde, causing him to pause at the top of the steps and turn around to face her. "Why did you give me this?" The question had been nagging at her ever since he had held out that tiny brown box to her. His deep blue eyes met her own once again as he stood rooted to the spot, trying to compose an acceptable answer.

"Well…It's-um…to keep you safe." He finally managed to get out as his eyes fell and locked onto his boots. His words seemed to cut through Lightning like a hot knife. The words that had poured from his mouth seemed eerily familiar to another moment in time, and her hand immediately plunged into her pocket and locked around her survival knife. Those words had been the same words she had spoken to Hope when she had passed her treasured possession on to him. Hope had needed someone to protect him, afterall, he was just a kid…a kid that had been ripped from his parents and thrown into a war. Is that how Cloud viewed her…as someone who needed protection? Sure, the mission last night could have gone much better than it had and she had made a critical mistake in judgement, but she was no one's charity case. She had been looking after herself for the past six years since her mother's death. She was more than capable of protecting herself, and she wasn't about to let some arrogant ex-SOLDIER make her feel otherwise. "Everyone should have materia," he added hastily as if sensing the conclusions she was beginning to draw.

"Right…" Lightning agreed flatly before Jessie burst through the door nearly knocking Cloud over in the process.

"Hey, Light!" she beamed as she leaped down the stairs. "Tifa said you were out here. You ready to go home?"

"Yeah." She responded as she shot one final look at the blonde who still stood glued to the top of the steps as if he wanted to say something else. "Thanks," she raised the brown box slightly and nodded to the blonde before turning with Jessie and walking away from the bar.

"So…what was that all about?" Jessie asked casually once they were out of earshot of the bar.

"What was what about?" Lightning replied. She had a feeling she knew which direction this conversation was heading in, but quite frankly, she didn't know what it had all been about herself.

"Oh, come on! You and pretty boy!" Jessie giggled as she elbowed Lightning playfully on the arm.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," Lightning shot back in annoyance as she aimed a perfected death glare in her friend's direction.

"Really? Come on roomie!" Jessie begged, clearly unfazed by the look. Was her signature glare losing its effectiveness? It had always scared Snow shitless and made him shut the hell up, and he was three times her size. So why wasn't it working now? Maybe Jessie was now too close to her to take it seriously. There was only one other person in the world that didn't seem to be afraid her. Someone Jessie had painfully reminded her of from the very beginning…her sister.

"You know…you remind me of Serah sometimes," Lightning laughed in an attempt to change the subject.

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" Jessie asked with a childish grin.

"I'll let you know." Lightning chuckled as she playfully ruffled the girl's brunette hair just as she used to do Serah's.

"You know, "Sis"…" Jessie joked as she mustered up her own glare in retaliation. "You're still not off the hook!"

 _Yes…Just like Serah._

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, I know I promised Reactor no. 5, but I felt like writing a "fluff" chapter. As much as I like following the actual storyline, I feel like I occasionally need to throw these types of chapters in to satisfy my own need to write something 100% original. Sorry this chapter was so short. The next one will be longer, I promise. We had some serious developments in this chapter. I felt like a moment was needed between Cloud and Light, and I used the materia question from the reviews to create the moment. I was recently playing through the reactor no. 5 part of the game, and decided to take the part where Cloud explained materia to Barret and rewrite it to fit my story's needs. I think Cloud's tutorial to Lightning was sweet! Hopefully, you all feel the same. How did I do with Tifa's jealousy? Too much? Not enough? You all keep requesting good jealousy scenes with Tifa and Aeris (when she comes into the picture), so I figured that I'd take advantage of Cloud and Light's moment to create one. Lightning is under the impression that Cloud and Tifa are together, so of course, she notices Tifa's jealousy. Cloud, on the other hand, is as oblivious as ever to Tifa's feelings and has taken an interest in Lightning. I haven't decided what I am going to do with Aeris yet. While she does flirt with Cloud in the game, I have a hard time seeing her with anyone other than Zack.**

 **There was also a small bonding moment between Light and Jessie at the end. I felt that I needed to strengthen that relationship to make Jessie's upcoming death that much more powerful (Yes, I'm still going to kill her..not really a spoiler). In the game, it was hard to be sad for the AVALANCHE member's deaths because we didn't know much about them, so I felt like I needed to create a story for at least one of them.**

 **I feel like I need to go ahead and mention this, but I am leaving for vacation next Friday and won't be returning until Nov 5** **th** **. I will be visiting the beautiful Clearwater Beach in Florida, so I may be too busy soaking in the sun to update that week lol. The drive there is 15 hours and I'm taking my laptop, so I might work on something on the way there or on the way home…but no promises.**

 **As always – Thank you so much for reading! Thanks again to everyone who has followed / favorited the story, or me personally. I was looking at the story stats today and noticed that it is nearing 500 visitors! The individual chapter traffic stats are pretty consistent across the board, so that means that people are sticking with it and not dropping it after a chapter or two! It makes me really happy to know that so many people are enjoying the story!**

 **Please, please, please take a moment to feed the review monster lol. Seriously though, your reviews mean everything to me and are my motivation to update…so please, keep them coming!**

 **Love always,**

 **Lady A**


	9. Chapter 8: To Keep You Safe

**A/N: I love you all, did you know that? Thanks for sticking with me through this crazy adventure of a first fanfic! Your kind words are my motivation to keep going. Thank you all!**

 **The Sorrowful Deity, Astrea Erushia, Miss Taarna, Warrick24, Okikun, Lumina, Firaga (welcome to the party!), Monking II, and Wolf777….you all rock! Thanks for all of your support.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything here other than my imagination. Sqaure-Enix owns the rest.**

 **Beware of typos and errors. You know how I am with longer chapters.**

* * *

Chapter 08 – To Keep You Safe

The bar had remained closed that day, which was a welcomed relief to Cloud. He knew that Tifa could have probably used the money, but he was always glad to have a little peace and quiet. As much as he appreciated the silence tonight, he couldn't help but wonder why Tifa had changed her mind about opening in the first place. She had been acting really strange all day, and he couldn't help but feel like he had upset her in some way. Maybe she was still angry about his behavior last night and his argument with Barret? She had seemed rather upset when he had stormed out of Barret's meeting, and afterwards, she seemed downright hurt that he had forgotten about the promise he had made when they were kids.

The promise he had made to his friend had been childish, to say the least. It was all too easy to recall his last night in Nibelheim as the two of them sat side by side next to the well. Joining SOLDIER had always been Cloud's dream, and that night he had only meant to say goodbye to his childhood friend, but instead found himself making a promise to the girl. He had promised that if she were ever in trouble that he would come to save her. Tifa had wanted a hero, but he was no hero…not then, and definitely not now. Tifa had always been special to him though. They were neighbors, they had grown up together, and they had been through many hardships together. Back then, he thought that Tifa was the one he would spend the rest of his life with. Everything he did was ultimately to impress her, even his decision to join SOLDIER had been fueled by this desire. But something had changed along the way. During his time away from Nibelheim, he never forgot about Tifa, but her place in his heart seemed to evolve into something else. He began to see her as more of a sisterly figure than a love interest, and it was hard to determine if this was merely a consequence of growing up and tossing aside his childish fantasies, or if something else had happened during his time in SOLDIER that had distorted his vision. As far as he knew, Tifa had never shared his feelings anyway, so losing them didn't seem to alter their relationship at all.

The brunette in question now stood behind the bar scrubbing its surface for what seemed like the hundredth time today. He knew Tifa well enough to know that she only cleaned obsessively when she had something heavy weighing on her mind. More than anything, he wanted her to just spit it out already - whatever she was angry about, but he also knew that Tifa wasn't that type of person. Whenever something was on her mind, she nearly always kept it to herself. As far as he could remember, she had always been that way…at least she had with him. She had never seemed to have any problems opening up to her friends back in Nibelheim, but when it came to Cloud, she kept everything to herself…almost as if she didn't want him to know.

Suddenly, the front door swung open and two AVALANCHE members filed in. He had already forgotten their names, but the tall man and the short porky man immediately strode over to the bar and began talking with Tifa. She seemed happy enough to see them, so this only reinforced his conclusion that she was upset with him. Barret suddenly appeared from the basement with his daughter trailing behind him and made his way over to the table and sat down. It was nearly 22:00, and their pre-mission meeting would soon be beginning, but they were still missing two members. Lightning and her friend still weren't there. Lightning didn't strike him as the type to be tardy for anything. She seemed like the type that would rather be an hour early than a minute late. He supposed that it must've had something to do with her military background. Those who had ever served usually had this type of mentality.

 _Speaking of…_

The question had arisen yesterday on the train when he first spot her uniform and her military issued pauldron, and that same question had been nagging at him all day today. The opportunity to ask this burning question had presented itself earlier in the day. It had even seemed like she had wanted him to ask it, but for some reason, he hadn't. There was only one military force on Gaia that he knew of, and that was Shinra. The only area within Shinra that allowed women in their ranks was the Turks, and Lightning was no Turk. The only other military faction that he could think of was the Wutai military, but they had been driven into extinction after the war several years ago. Although, she was an ex-soldier, she was much too young to have served in Wutai. Plus, she didn't look like a Wutaian. In fact, Lightning didn't look like she fit in anywhere on Gaia.

He wanted so badly just to ask the question, to ask where she was really from, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do it. Perhaps, it was because he already knew the answer. His travels had taken him all over the planet and he had never seen anyone like her in his life. She was unique…From her signature pink hair and her foreign clothes to the strange things she said…no, there was no one on Gaia quite like her. The possibility that she had been making it all up had crossed his mind, but that idea didn't seem very plausible. She claimed to have a military background, and all of her mannerisms and fighting techniques strongly supported it. Was it possible that she _had_ somehow actually been in Shinra's military, and they had exposed her to a bit too much mako? No, that wasn't possible either. Even a small syringe of that stuff would be enough to give her eyes the trademark glow, and Lightning's eyes were still her own. She had most definitely never been exposed to mako before. Hell, last night she had looked as if she had never even seen mako before. There was no question about it, Lightning wasn't a part of this world, but confirming this thought with her almost seemed almost as bizarre as the prospect itself. How would she react if he were to bring up these suspicions? He wouldn't appreciate someone digging into his personal affairs, and he could only assume that Lightning felt the same, so he had chosen to remain silent. It was a much better idea to let her come to him on this one…assuming that would ever happen. They didn't know each other very well, and Lightning didn't seem like someone who would let just anyone close enough to get to know her. Suddenly, the subject of this thoughts burst through the front door followed by her brunette friend, whose name he had also managed to forget. The two of them were out of breath and sweaty as if they had been running, and Lightning's weapon was covered in blood as she held it extended at her side, so it was easy to assume they had ran into some trouble on the way.

"Sorry…sorry, we're late!" the brunette panted as she hastily made her way through the room to sit next to Barret who was looking irritably between the pair as if demanding an explanation. "W-We ran into some of Shinra's weird dogs on our way here. There's a lot more of them lurking around tonight. Good thing Light was with me, or I probably wouldn't have made it." She finished as she turned to smile at her pink haired comrade who still stood by the door wiping blood from her weapon.

"Okay, glad y'all are okay." Barret began, excusing their tardiness. "Now that we're all here, let's talk about the strategy. Things are gonna be pretty similar to last night. The plan is pretty much the same…Biggs, Wedge, and Jess have our access codes to get us into the damn place. Only difference is: once they get us in, they're gonna head out and high tail it back to Sector 7.."

"But," Jessie began, but immediately stopped talking as Barret raised a hand to silence her.

"No buts. We had too many damn people in that reactor when that bomb went off last night. You all get us in, and then get your asses out. No need for all of us to be in there if we don' have to be. Me, Spiky, and Pinky will go down and handle the bomb. Speakin' of…Jessie rigged us together a new bomb that'll be set to a detonator, meanin' we won't be dealin' with none of that shit like we did last night. We barely got outta there alive, so this time we aint takin' no chances. We'll activate it after we out. Any questions?" he finished as he surveyed the group.

"I'm going this time," Tifa spoke up from behind the bar causing everyone to turn and look in her direction.

"The hell you are!" Barret responded. "If you go, then who's gonna watch after Marlene?"

"I asked Mrs. Jones next door to keep an eye on her. That's why I didn't open the bar today." Tifa explained as she made her way from behind the bar and walked over to the table to join the group. "Don't worry, it's all worked out. I'll drop her off next door when we head out." she added as she pulled a pair of black gloves from her back pocket and slid them onto her small hands. Barret sat in silence studying the woman before finally relenting.

"Awright," he receded. "It's almost time, so let's move! We'll discuss the rest of the plan on the train." He added as the group got to their feet and began to head toward the exit. Cloud, however, remained behind and waited for the rest of the group to file through the door before speaking up.

"Tifa," he called just as the brunette had reached the door.

"Hmm?" she hummed as she turned to face him.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" he began carefully not wishing to offend her. "Why do you want to go along?"

"I'm just as capable as everyone else," she began defensively. "Besides, I want to go. I'm worried about you, Cloud. I just want to make sure everything goes okay this time. I'm also going to make sure you and Barret don't kill each other!" she added playfully as she turned to face the door again. "It's decided, so come on before we miss the train!"

Cloud didn't dare question Tifa again as he watched her disappear from the room. While he hated the thought of putting his oldest and closest friend in danger, he knew that there was no use arguing with her once her mind was set on something. Tifa was more than capable of taking care of herself. She was an experienced martial artist, and they could probably use her fighting skills once they reached the reactor. Who knows what would be waiting for them once they reached the core, but if it was anything like what they had encountered last night, they could use all the help they could get. Sighing heavily, Cloud realized that logic outweighed his personal desires to keep his sister figure safe. It was decided; there was no point in trying to argue now.

* * *

The 23:00 train departed as usual that night as the members of AVALANCHE made themselves comfortable throughout the compartment they had chosen. They had not reserved a private car this time, but the passengers that had previously occupied the space had fled at the very sight of them. Somehow Barret had even managed to scare the attendant away. Cloud had missed most of the altercation, but he had caught something about the attendant referring to them as "hoodlums" and of course, Barret had snapped. They were lucky the attendant hadn't called security on them. They had been traveling for nearly fifteen minutes now, so the odds of a security check were becoming smaller and smaller. Barret seemed overly pleased with himself as he reclined in his seat staring out the window behind him. Lightning, however, looked absolutely furious as she sat rigidly in the seat across from the man frequently shooting daggers at him with her eyes. It sure was easy to upset her, but honestly, she had a right to be angry. He could have blown the mission and gotten them all arrested.

"So…what's the plan?" Cloud spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Barret's amused eyes shot over to him and he let out a loud chuckle.

"Hah! Listen to Mr. Serious-about-his-work!" the man laughed. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Lightning tense at the man's words. Was he trying to make her mad, or was he really that oblivious? Cloud knew he needed to do something before the pinkette exploded, and wouldn't blame her if she did. Barret had behaved recklessly tonight.

"You said there was more to the plan," Cloud countered coldly. "Don't you think you should fill us in on it?" Barret looked around at the group before finally noticing the scowl plastered to Lightning's face. His cheerful attitude seemed to die immediately as he scratched his head stupidly.

"Awright.." he began carefully making a point to avoid Lightning's gaze. "Jessie may have already told you, but there's a security check point at the top of the plate. It's an ID scan system checkin' all the trains."

"Which Shinra is very proud of," Tifa inserted from the front of the car.

"We can't use our fake ID's anymore," Barret added nodding at the brunette. "Not after last night, at least. If we pass through that check point, it'll read our real ID's and Shinra'll know we were here, and they'll be lookin' for us tomorrow. We've only gotta few minutes 'til we reach the check, so we'll be jumpin' off the train. Got it?" Lightning opened her mouth as if to say something, but was suddenly cut off by a blaring alarm and a blinding red flashing light that pulsated throughout the car.

 _Shit. The security alarm!_

"That's odd," Tifa remarked looking around. The ID checkpoint was supposed to be further down." It looked like their real ID's were going to be read after all. So much for going in undetected.

 _"TYPE A SECURITY ALERT!"_ An automated voice screeched through the intercom. "UNIDENTIFIED PASSENGER CONFIRMED…A SEARCH OF ALL CARS WILL BE CONDUCTED! REPEAT! TYPE A SECURITY ALERT! UNIDENTIFIED PASSENGER CONFIRMED…A SEARCH OF ALL CARS WILL BE CONDUCTED!"

 _Unidentified passenger? Shit! It must be Lightning!_

"What's happening?" Tifa panicked as the alarm began to sound even louder.

"We're in trouble," Jessie stated she frantically rushed into the car. "I'll explain later. Hurry! Get to the next car!" She added as she grabbed a very confused Lightning and pulled her from the car. It seemed as if Jessie had also reached the same conclusion as Cloud had: Lightning was the unidentified passenger.

"Fuck!" Barret roared as the group ran into the next car. "Someone blew it…"

"UNIDENTIFIED PASSENGER LOCATED IN CAR # 1. PREPARING FOR LOCKDOWN!"

"We need to keep moving up the train," Jessie called to the group as they sprinted from car to car. "Once we reach the front, we'll need to jump or we'll get caught in the net. We need to hurry!"

"UNIDENTIFIED PASSENGER MOVING TO THE FRONT OF THE TRAIN. CURRENTLY TRACKING LOCATION. CAR # 4 LOCKED DOWN. UPGRADING TO MAXIMUM SECURITY!"

"They're locking the door!" the chunky man called Wedge shouted from the front of the train.

"Let's go! We're gonna dive outta here!" Barret roared as he herded the group towards the door. "It's now, or never! Biggs, Wedge, Jessie…get movin'!" he instructed as they each hesitantly jumped from the train. "Pinky, go!" he commanded and Lightning stepped forward and fearlessly leapt through the door. "You're up Tifa," he continued as the brunette slowly approached the door.

"Scary, huh," she remarked as she turned to Cloud as if searching for support.

"It's too late for that now," Cloud responded. "Why'd you come along anyway?" He hadn't been trying to hurt her feelings with his comments, but it appeared that he had because her expression seemed to sadden.

"Because…" she began nervously.

"Hey you two!" Barret snapped impatiently. "There aint no time for that!"

"Okay," Tifa nodded before turning and carefully jumping from the train.

"Awright," Barret nodded as he ushered Cloud to the door.

"You don't care if I go first?" Cloud asked.

"A leader always stays til the end. Don't worry 'bout me, just go!" he instructed. "Yo! Don't go getting' your spiky ass hurt! It's only the beginnin' of the mission." Cloud nodded at the man before fearlessly taking the leap himself.

* * *

"You okay?" Tifa called just as Cloud came out of a landing roll and regained his balance.

"Yeah," Cloud responded as he shook the dirt from his spiky locks. "How about you all?" he asked as he looked around to inspect the others. Aside from being a little dirty, they all seemed to be fine and their nods were added confirmation.

"Good!" Barret shouted as he landed a little further down the track. "So far everything's going as planned." He stood up and dusted off his clothes. "Don't let your guard down till we get to the Sector 5 Reactor. The reactor's just down the tunnel, so MOVE IT!" he commanded as the group set off and began to make their way through the deserted tunnel toward the reactor. They didn't get very far before they ran into a very serious obstacle. Right in their path to the reactor were the green laser beams that signaled nothing other than a Shinra security check point. It seemed odd that two of them would be positioned so close together, so that could only mean that Shinra was pulling out all the stops tonight in their attempt to catch the culprits behind Reactor no. 1.

"Those light beams are the Shinra's security sensors," Cloud informed the group. "We can't go any further…" This mission was a bust, and after the security issue on the train, that was probably a good thing.

"Hey, what about this?" Lightning called from the side of the tunnel. Cloud looked in her direction and noticed that she was crouched over a small hatch on the ground that most likely led to the sewers.

"That's one damn tiny hole," Barret commented as he approached from behind her. "You tellin' me to squeeze into that to get under the plate? No way!" He resolved as he backed up and crossed his arms stubbornly. Cloud opened his mouth to respond, but Lightning beat him to the punch.

"Do you have a better alternative?" She hissed in frustration. "This is our only way in. Take it, or leave it." Barret seemed to engage in the worlds longest staring contest with the pinkette before finally giving in and uncrossing his arms.

"Okay…" he receded. "But, damn. That thing gives me the chills." Lightning took the lead and descended into the tight space, followed closely by Jessie, and then the others with Barret bring up the rear. They crawled through the cramped space until they emerged in what looked to be a large underground warehouse. This was definitely not the sewers, so it was safe to assume that they must be somewhere near the reactor. They proceeded through the maze before they were stopped at a tightly closed door, which Cloud assumed would give them access to the reactor. Biggs and Wedge made their way forward to begin bypassing security on the door, while the rest of the group remained behind to keep an eye out for the enemy.

"The ID scan problem was my fault," Cloud heard Jessie whisper to Lightning. "I meant to hack into Shinra's databases and create your ID, but I forgot." So his assumptions were true: that incident aboard the train had been caused by Lightning's presence. He found it odd that every citizen on Gaia had some form of identification, but Lightning did not. The evidence seemed to keep stacking in support of his theory.

"It's okay," Lightning whispered back. "We didn't get caught, so no harm done."

"No, it's not!" Jessie pressed on. "I failed…I'm sorry."

"Don't-" Lightning began, but was cut off by the electric hum of the door coming to life.

"This'll give you access to the reactor." Biggs informed them. "According to the map, this path should come out somewhere near the core."

"Here are the access codes for the doors up top," Wedge stated as he placed a folded piece of paper in Barret's hand.

"We're gonna pull out now," Biggs continued. "We'll meet at the hideout…c'mon Jessie," he added as he gently tugged on Jessie's arm. Jessie, however, remained rooted to the spot as she stared at the pinkette. It was obvious she didn't like the idea of leaving her friend behind, especially after the incident the previous night.

"Go on," Lightning smiled slightly as she nudged her friend toward the others. "We'll be okay. I'll see you back at the bar, okay?"

"Light…" Jessie began as her eyes glistened with tears.

"Here," Lightning interrupted as she pulled a small survival knife from her pocket and held it out to her friend. "To keep you safe." Jessie took the knife and looked at her friend uncertainly. "I'll want it back," Lightning added with a smile as she ruffled the girl's hair. This small gesture seemed to throw Jessie overboard as the tears finally spilled from her eyes, and she rushed in to crush Lightning in a tight embrace.

"You too…" Jessie's muffled voice could be heard from Lightning's shoulder. "You stay safe too." She said as she pulled tearfully away from Lightning and shot Cloud a pleading look before allowing herself to be pulled away by the others.

 _Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her. I promise._ Cloud had wanted to vocalize those words to calm Jessie's fears, but somehow he felt that they wouldn't be well received by Lightning. He already felt like he had offended her earlier with his gift. He had only wanted to give her something she could use to protect herself, but she had seemed offended when he told her so. It was almost as if she had mentally drawn the conclusion that he didn't think she were capable of taking care of herself, which was completely absurd. He has seen her fight, and that woman was more than capable of protecting herself.

* * *

Biggs had been accurate in his estimates: they had indeed entered the reactor near the core. Reactor no. 5 was eerily familiar to the one they had destroyed the previous night. The group of four made their way through the facility room by room, before finally arriving at the ladder that would take them into the heart of the reactor. As they descended into the depths, Cloud couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Perhaps it had something to do with the shockingly similar layout of the reactor, but Cloud couldn't seem to shake off the sense of déjà vu.

As they reached the bottom of the ladder and stepped onto the platform below, they saw the device that controlled the flow of mako further down the catwalk. Everything about this place seemed to be identical to Reactor no. 1. Cloud silently prayed that this place was only identical in appearance, and that they wouldn't encounter the same nasty surprises they had the previous night. Tifa had walked ahead of the group and was silently studying her surroundings. It was obvious that she hadn't seen a reactor since...Nibelheim. With this realization, the image of Tifa standing before him now somehow reminded him of that fateful night many years ago when…Sephiroth murdered her father in a reactor identical to this one.

 _Papa!_ Tifa's voice echoed through his mind as he recalled the image of her kneeling over her dying father. _Sephiroth?! Did Sephiroth do this? Sephiroth…SOLDIER…Mako reactors…Shinra…I hate them all!_ Cloud felt his knees painfully hit the ground and in an instant, Lightning was at his side.

"You all right?" Lightning asked as she knelt down beside him. Cloud didn't seem to hear her as he searched for Tifa. He needed to say something to her…anything. If that memory was painful for him, he couldn't imagine the damage it could be doing to her.

"Tifa…" he called, unsure what he was going to say to his oldest friend.

"Mmm?" Tifa had materialized at his side in an instant, and as hard as she was trying, Cloud could see the pain that was evident behind her crimson eyes. Surely she knew what had set him off, and now her eyes seemed to be begging him not to talk about it in front of the others.

"No…forget…come on, let's hurry." He stuttered out as he allowed the two women to help him to his feet.

"Damn man, get a hold of yourself," Barret huffed in annoyance as he pulled the explosive from his pocket and began fidgeting with the wires. He secured the bomb to the mako device, and they all let out an audible sigh of relief when the alarm didn't sound. At least they wouldn't have to deal with any of Shinra's toys tonight. "Let's get outta here," Barret commanded as he led the way back down the catwalk and up the ladder.

Since they had not set off the alarm, the trip back to the surface was pretty uneventful. The quartet made their way from room to room entering the security codes along the way. They had remained undetected throughout their entire mission, and now it appeared they were home free. They had finally reached the T-shaped catwalk leading to the exit when the feeling of déjà vu struck again.

"This way!" Barret called as he led the group to the left side only to be suddenly cut off by a swarm of soldiers. "Shinra soldiers!?" he exclaimed in shock as the group turned to run in the opposite direction only to be cut off once again by the soldiers flanking them on the right. "What the hell's going on?" They were trapped, with no way to go except back into the reactor. Cloud heard the unmistakable sound of Lightning's gunblade being unsheathed behind him signaling that she was ready for a fight…and a fight it would most certainly be. Cloud had just wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his buster sword when he heard someone's voice ring out from behind him.

"Well, well, well…" The small group turned to see the smug face of non-other than President Shinra standing behind them on the catwalk.

 _It was a trap. They knew we were coming._

"Pres…President Shinra?" Barret gasped in disbelief as he looked the blonde haired man up and down.

"Why is the president here?" Tifa whispered nearly inaudibly from behind him.

"Hmm…So you all must be…What was it?" President Shinra asked as he straightened his red tie and walked toward them.

"AVALANCHE! And don't you forget it!" Barret roared angrily.

"Long time no see, _sir_." Cloud said mockingly as he took a challenging step forward.

"…Long time no see?" the president asked in confusion as he ran fingers over his blonde mustache and studied Cloud's face. "Oh…you. You're the one who quit SOLDIER and joined AVALANCHE. I knew you'd been exposed to mako from the look in your eyes…Tell me, traitor…" he continued as he took a step toward Cloud, "What was your name?"

"Cloud." Cloud responded through gritted teeth.

 _I'm no traitor._

"Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember everyone's name…unless you become another Sephiroth. Aah…Sephiroth…He was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant." The president rambled on before finally adding. "You are no concern of mine anymore, however, I am rather interested in your friend there. What is your name dear?" Cloud could only think of one person in the group that would pique the president's interests.

"Lightning," she spat as she raised her gunlade and took aim.

"Oh no, my dear." The president laughed. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"This place is going up with a big bang soon!" Barret cut in. "Serves y'all right!"

"And such a waste of good fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you…" the president responded smugly.

"Vermin!?" Barret roared. "That's all you can say? Vermin? Shinra're the VERMIN for killing the planet! Guess that'd make you King VERMIN! So shu'up jackass!"

"…You are beginning to bore me." The president sighed as he lazily looked at his watch. "I'm a very busy man, so if you'll excuse me…I have a dinner I must attend."

"Dinner!? Don't gimme that! I aint even started wit' you yet!" Barret yelled threateningly at the man.

"But…I have made arrangements for a playmate for you all." The president added clearly unfazed by Barret's threats. Suddenly, the catwalk began to rattle and a loud grinding noise could be heard in the distance.

"What's that sound?" Lightning asked curiously as she extended her gunblade into sword mode and began surveying the area.

"The hell is that!?" Barret exclaimed just as large green robot appeared from the left path and charged directly at the group. Barret managed to grab Tifa by the arm and pulled her to the side, just as Lightning and Cloud dived to the opposite side of the catwalk. The robot came to a halt between the four of them on the platform and its motors rumbled loudly as it awaited further instruction.

"Meet 'Airbuster', a techno-soldier. Our Weapon Development Department created him," the president laughed arrogantly. "I'm sure the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments."

"Techno-soldier?" Cloud inquired as he examined the war machine in front of him.

"Now then, if you'll excuse me." He added before retreating to the helicopter that was now hovering over the catwalk. "Oh, and I look forward to see you again real soon," he turned slightly and winked at Lightning causing her to walk challengingly toward him. Cloud gripped her arm tightly and slightly shook his head.

 _It's not worth it._

"Yo! Cloud, Pinky! We've gotta do somethin' 'bout him!" Barret shouted as the Airbuster began to furiously rev the engine on its back before charging at Barret and Tifa.

"Help, Cloud!" Tifa cried as the robot nearly knocked her from the high platform. "This is from SOLDIER!?" she gasped as she regained her balance and took a defensive stance.

"No way!" Cloud answered. "It's just a machine."

"I don't care what it is!" Barret exclaimed as he raised his arm and unleashed a round of bullets onto the robot. "I'm gonna bust him up!"

"You ready?" Cloud asked Lightning as he retrieved the buster sword from his back and prepared to attack.

"Thing'll never know what hit it!" Lightning declared bravely as she extended her gunblade and readied her attack. Cloud couldn't help but admire the woman's courage. She definitely wasn't afraid of a fight…that much, he was sure of.

At first, the fight with the Airbuster seemed to be easier than Cloud had anticipated. Although it had been a highly advanced techno-soldier, the fact that the four of them had the machine sandwiched between them seemed to work to their advantage. The constant chain of asaults that came from both sides seemed to confuse the robot and he didn't seem to know which direction to aim his attacks. However, after about fifteen minutes of giving it their all, the group realized that they hadn't even put a scratch on the thing.

"This isn't working," Lightning huffed angrily as she came out a backflip and landed at his side. She had executed what seemed to be her hundredth strike on the machine's body and had successfully evaded yet another poorly aimed counter attack sent in her direction. "Any luck over there?" she shouted to the other two.

"Nah!" Barret called back. "My bullets aint even dentin' the damn thing and Tifa's fists are doin' even less."

"I've got an idea!" Cloud shouted. "Barret…Tifa…get back! We're gonna try materia on it." He added as he turned his head to Lightning who was already fishing her materia from her thigh pouch.

"But.." Tifa objected as she was pulled backward by Barret.

"We'll jus' be in the way," Barret explained. "Okay. We out, jus' don't get your dumbasses hurt!"

"These machines are weak against lightning, so aim for its head to disable it. I'll use ice against its limbs to prevent it from countering. Just stay focused…you can do this." He added as the pinkette nodded and sheathed her gunblade behind her.

"Got it!" she acknowledged as she placed the green orb over her right forearm and watched vanished. No sooner had the materia disappeared beneath her skin, Lightning began to furiously wave her arm through the air, expertly sending bolt after bolt of electricity at the war machine. He had to admit, the woman was a natural with materia. She looked almost too comfortable using it, as if she had really been using it her entire life. The spell seemed almost too weak for her, and she looked as if she'd be more than capable of wielding a fully maxed lightning materia. There was no way that this could be her first experience with magic, he was sure of that. Cloud began his own onslaught of ice attacks at the creature's arms and legs, which seemed to immediately disable it.

"We've got it!" Cloud called as he stopped attacking and proceeded to stand right next to Lightning. "Keep going" he added as she sent one last bolt of electricity at the robot causing its head to begin smoking. The electricity seemed to course throughout the robot's body and it began to shake violently. "Get back!" he shouted as he grabbed her wrist and began to pull her backwards just as the robot exploded. The floor seemed to vanish beneath them and he felt the brief sensation of free-falling before he felt a sudden jerk on his right arm that immediately stopped his fall. Looking up, he realized that he was still holding onto Lightning's wrist and she had somehow managed to grab hold of the side of the catwalk and now clung on for dear life with one hand. He could see the obvious pain on her face as she tried to maintain her grip on the ledge while also supporting both of their weights.

"Let go," Cloud begged as he looked up to meet her panic filled eyes. "No use in both of us falling. You've still got a chance."

"No…just…hold…on!" Lightning gasped as she tightened her hold on his wrist.

"Yo! The detonator fell in the explosion!" Barret shouted from the opposite side of the catwalk. "Once it hits the ground, the reactor's gonna blow! We gotta get outta here, Tifa!"

"Barret, can't you do something?" Tifa cried as she crouched over the hole in the catwalk and stretched out her arm. The hole was just too large, and since she was on the opposite side, there was no possible way she could reach them.

"Not a damn thing," Barret sighed as he shook his head. "Lightnin' can you pull yourselves up?"

"No…" she replied through gritted teeth. "Too…much…weight."

"Cloud!" Tifa sobbed as tears began streaming down her face. "Please, don't die! You can't die! There's still so much I want to tell you!"

"I know Tifa," Cloud grunted as his hold on Lightning's wrist seemed to slip slightly. "You worry about yourselves! We'll be alright. Barret, take care of Tifa!"

"…Alright. Sorry about all this," the man apologized.

"Stop talkin' like this is the-" Cloud began just as an explosion from the reactor rattled the catwalk causing Lightning to lose her grip. Tifa nearly leapt off the edge in an attempt to catch them as the two began to fall to their deaths.

"Stay together," Lightning called over the rushing wind as she tightened her grip on his arm and pulled him closer. "I have a plan," she added as she fumbled around in her pocket, removing a small device and throwing it ahead of them. The device seemed to soar ahead at light speed and stuck to the roof of a building directly below them before covering the area in a bright blue light.

"What is that thing?" Cloud called out in shock.

"That thing's gonna save our lives!" Lightning answered. "Get ready to land and do not let go! I have the other unit, so if you let go of it won't work for you!" she added as she snapped the fingers on her right hand causing them to slow significantly. It had seemed that whatever technology she had used had worked, until the blue light below suddenly began to flicker and vanished altogether.

"What the fuck?" he heard Lightning curse as she snapped her fingers again and again but to no avail.

"We're going in too fast!" Cloud shouted as he quickly pulled Lightning into a tight embrace to shield her from impact just as they crashed through the roof of the building. As they collided with the structure, he felt Lightning go limp in his arms and he was consumed by intense pain. It felt as if every bone in his body had shattered, but he continued to cling to the unconscious woman in his arms. There was no way he was letting her go. He had made an unspoken promise to keep her safe, and he wasn't backing down on that promise. The two of them continued to fall through the building as the colorful ground jumped up to meet them. They landed with a loud, sickening thud and Cloud's world was suddenly turned to darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: So…this chapter was totally ready to go last night, but I was a little too wrapped up in the season premiere of The Walking Dead to post it. Sorry, not sorry. Seriously though…that episode. Totally called that…been saying it since last year, but it still hurt to see it. No spoilers here, but those of you who watched it know exactly what I'm talking about.**

 **What did you all think of the chapter? Good? Bad? Very bad? Horrible? Lady A, you suck at life and should feed yourself to a zombie? It's okay..I can take it lol. I really hope you all liked it though because I worked really hard on it. This chapter was a monster…20 pages in word, so it is the longest to date. Please excuse any typos and errors you may have found. Like I said in a previous post, once I pass about 12ish pages, editing becomes a real biiiiatch and I just don't like to do it. I'll give it a once over, but that's about it lol. What did you all think about the chapter coming from Cloud's perspective? So far, everything I've written has come from Lightning, and Cloud has been sprinkled in once or twice. I felt like I owed him a chapter. Should I do more like this, or does it matter? Lightning is easier for me, but I had a lot of fun with this one.**

 **So, I've got some good news and I've got some bad news for you all. The bad news: this is probably my last post before I leave for vacation. The good news: I bought a car charger for my laptop, so the likelihood that I'll work on a chapter on my way to Florida is very high. 15 hours is a very long time to spend in a car, so yeah, it'll probably happen.**

 **Please make sure to feed the review monster! I actually rely quite heavily on them for motivation. If you're new to the story, please take a few minutes to follow / favorite the story and / or drop me a review. I'd love to hear from you. I'm always open to suggestions, so if you can think of anything that you'd really like to see, please let me know!**

 **I'm heading off to work now, but I look forward to hearing from you all soon! Once again…I love you all!**

 **-Lady A**


	10. Chapter 9: The Flower Girl

**A/N: Hey guys! I finally made it to Florida! No, I'm not neglecting my vacation to write fanfiction…I wrote most of this during the sixteen hour drive here yesterday lol. I went to the beach earlier today and then out for some Greek food (Yummy!) I wanted to go back to watch the sunset, but honestly, I was beat. I've only accumulated about 7 hours of sleep over the past two nights, so needless to say, I don't feel like doing anything.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed Chapter 8:**

 **The Sorrowful Deity, Wolf777, APEX CALIBRE (Hello, btw!), Miss Taarna, Astrea Erushia, Okikun, Lumxna, and Monking II…thanks for sticking with me and for being so awesome!**

 **I want to give a special thanks to Wolf777 for the shout out in his story. I've already told you this, but your shout out really did make my day. Thanks for supporting a newbie like me!**

 **I'm about 99.9% sure that all of you are already following him, but if for reason you're not, get your booty over there and read his stuff because it's awesome and you're really missing out!**

 **Disclaimer:**

 ***I don't own any of this. Square-Enix owns it all…yadayadayada…you all know the rest.**

 ***Typos and errors once again. I typed the bulk of this on the way to Florida, but 'A Clash of Kings' audio book was competing for my attention lol. This chapter is another monster (I think it's a new record...7383 words, 25 pages in word).  
**

 *****The website was giving me issues while posting this. It kept messing with my fonts, etc. Please let me know if you see anything that's seriously messed up so I can fix it. My brain literally hurts right now and I don't want to go over all of this again...I just want to go to sleep lol.  
**

 **Enjoy...**

* * *

Chapter 09 – The Flower Girl

"…You all right?"

 _Lightning?_

"Can you hear me?"

 _…Yeah…_

"Hello…Hello…"

 _That's not Lightning's voice,_ Cloud thought as he slowly came back into consciousness.

"Ugh…" he groaned as he opened his eyes and the brunette hovering above him slowly came into focus. He tried to sit up, but was immediately halted by an unexpected heavy weight that pressed onto on his chest pinning him to the spot. His whole body ached painfully under the pressure and it felt as if he had been trampled by a stampede of chocobos.

"Take it slow. Little by little…." The brunette said gently. For some reason the girl looked very familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out why. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I-I think so." He managed to get out.

"That's a relief. This is a church in the Sector 5 slums. You and your girlfriend fell from above. You really gave me quite a scare."

 _Girlfriend?_

"Lightning!" he gasped as the crushing weight on his chest suddenly made perfect sense. Looking down he realized that he was still clinging to the unconscious woman who was now draped across his chest. At first he feared that she was dead, but her shallow breath on his neck quickly relieved his anxiety. With renewed strength, he slowly sat up and gently relocated the pinkette from his chest to the colorful flower bed. "We…came crashing down?" Cloud asked the mysterious woman as he began to search his comrade for any sign of injury.

"The roof and the flower bed must have broken your fall. You two were lucky," the brunette responded as she knelt on the other side of Lightning. "Is she okay?"

"She seems to be. Just knocked out, I think." Cloud answered with a sigh of relief. "This flower bed…Is it yours?" he asked and the woman nodded. "Sorry about that," he added looking around at the destruction they had caused.

"It's all right," the woman replied as she ran her hand gently over Lightning's forehead and moved a few loose strands of hair from her face. "As long as everyone's okay," she said quietly as she continued to run her hand over Lightning's forehead and through her hair almost maternally. "The flowers here are quite resilient because this is a sacred place."

 _Sacred place?_ For the first time since waking up, Cloud looked up from his pink haired comrade and really took in his surroundings. The building he had landed in was filled with several rows of broken wooden pews and light somehow managed to stream through the stained glass windows to bathe the flower bed in sunshine. Cloud could only assume that the church was located directly under a crack in the plate above.

"They say that grass and flowers won't grow in Midgar, but for some reason, they have no trouble growing here." Aeris informed him. "You know…I think your girlfriend'll be okay," she smiled as she looked up to meet his gaze.

"She's not my girlfriend," Cloud responded almost a little too quickly.

"Oh?" the woman responded as she looked between the two of them. "Your sister, then? You two do sort of look alike…except for the hair, of course."

"No…she's…um…" he trailed off. What was Lightning to him anyway? A friend? A comrade? No one? For some reason that last one didn't seem right to him. She was definitely someone to him, but he was unsure what exactly that was.

"It's okay," she giggled. "You don't have to explain anything to me." The woman turned and began tending to the flowers before mumbling, "So, we meet again."

"Sorry?" Cloud responded unsure what the woman was talking about.

"…I guess you don't remember." She sighed as she continued to work. "You were in a daze that night…like you had something on your mind…but I forgive you because you bought a flower from me."

 _Oh, that's right! The flower girl. I knew she looked familiar._

"Say, I feel like talking. Do you feel up to it?" she asked as she looked up from her flowers.

"Got nothing to talk about," Cloud responded. He hadn't meant to come off cold, but honestly, he really didn't feel like talking. What he wanted more than anything was for Lightning to wake up so they could return to Sector 7, and not to sit here in a random church chatting with a stranger.

"I wonder who's fault that is," the girl joked. "You know, it's not easy to grow them…poor flowers," she added as she looked around at the mess they had made. As he followed her gaze around the flower bed, he couldn't help but feel guilty about the damage they had done to the place, and his guilt was amplified when he thought about how he was treating the poor girl. She seemed lonely and all she had wanted to do was talk, and he couldn't even do that. "I suppose we don't know each other's names, do we?" she pressed on. "I'm Aeris, the flower girl. Nice to meet you," she extended her hand out to Cloud.

"The name's Cloud," he reached out and returned her handshake.

"And her?" Aeris nodded to the unconscious woman on the ground.

"Lightning," he replied.

"Cloud and Lightning!?" the woman burst in to a fit of laughter. "Are you sure you two aren't together, or at least related? Those names belong together!" she continued laughing. As much as he hated the idea of anyone laughing at his expense, he supposed that she did have a point. Their names were quite similar, and he was honestly surprised that no one else had made the analysis yet. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry," Aeris choked out. "It's just…really funny!"

"Mmm.." Cloud replied while trying to keep his face as neutral as possible and appear uninterested. Honestly, he had to admit that it was pretty funny now that he thought about it. Lightning, however, would probably be less than impressed and the last thing he wanted was for her to wake up while the two of them were laughing at her expense.

"So…what do you two do?" Aeris asked still trying to contain her giggles.

"She's ex-military…" he nodded to Lightning, "…and I do a little bit of everything."

"Oh..a jack of all trades!" Aeris exclaimed happily clapping her hands together.

"Yeah, I do whatever's needed," he added and Aeris burst out in laughter once again. "What's so funny? What are you laughing at?" he asked the giggling brunette.

"Sorry, I just…" she began but decided to change the subject. "Say, Cloud. Have you ever been a body guard? You CAN do anything, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," he confirmed as he studied the young girl's face.

 _Is she being serious?_

"Then once she comes to…" she responded as she looked at Lightning. "…get me out of here and take me home."

"Okay…" Cloud agreed, "…but it'll cost you," he grinned innocently at the woman and then looked around at the mess they had made. He felt horrible about the destruction that he and Lightning had caused, and hoped that by honoring her request she would forgive them.

"Okay then, lets see…" Aeris chuckled. "How about…if I go out with you once?" Cloud felt his jaw hit the ground as he stared at the woman in disbelief. That was not the response he had expected at all. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he wasn't exactly dating or boyfriend material. Aeris stood silently in front of him awaiting an answer, but he couldn't seem to find the words, at least not the ones she wanted to hear anyway. Cloud opened his mouth in an attempt to respond, but was cut off by a sudden gasp coming from the floor.

"Ugh…" Lightning groaned as her eyelids began to flutter. She was waking up!

"Lightning!" he called, dodging the brunettes question and immediately looking down at his comrade worriedly. "Lightning, can you hear me?"

"…Cloud?" she whispered as she slowly opened her eyes. "W-Where…Where am I?" she asked as she tried to slowly sit up. "Ow..my head," she moaned as she brought a hand up to massage her temple.

"Easy." Cloud soothed as he placed a hand on her back and gently helped her sit upright. "Are you hurt?"

"I-I don't think so," she muttered as she looked around the church in confusion. "Where are we?"

"You're in Sector 5," Aeris spoke up from her side. "You and Cloud fell through the roof and landed in the flower bed."

"W-Who are you?" Lightning inquired as she looked the woman up and down with her pale blue eyes.

"I'm Aeris," Aeris smiled. "I'm a flower girl. Nice to meet you." She continued to beam as she reached out and grabbed Lightning's hand and shook it.

"Likewise," Lightning nodded to the flower girl. "How long was I out?"

"I'm not really sure," Aeris admitted. "You two were already lying there when I got here, so it's hard to say."

"Hmm." Lightning acknowledged as she surveyed her surroundings again. "Who's that guy?" she asked as her eyes landed on the door.

"Who?" Aeris and Cloud responded in unison as they immediately followed her gaze to the fiery red haired man that stood by the door in silent observation.

"Oh no…" Aeris breathed out as she jumped to her feet and slowly backed away. "Not him again…"

"You know him?" Cloud asked looking up at the brunette.

"I-I think he's stalking me." Aeris whispered.

"Don't worry," Cloud assured. "I'll take care of him." Cloud and Lightning got to their feet and the two of them slowly walked down the aisle of the church toward the stalker standing beside the door. The man seemed entertained by the threat as he ran his hand through his red spiked hair and then strode coolly toward them.

"I don't know who you are, but…" Cloud began as he surveyed the man. The stranger wore a navy blue business suit with his top coat unsecured. The white shirt underneath remained messily untucked, and the man had purposely left the top five buttons unfastened. His spiked red hair was pushed back in the front by a pair of black goggles, and was drawn into a long ponytail that trailed down his back.

 _…I know you._

"Oh yeah…I know you," he realized as he continued to stare the man up and down. "That uniform…" This man was a Turk, there was no denying that. The Turks functioned as Shinra's intelligence agency. They were considered a special ops force that took part in many behind the scenes functions such as reconnaissance, espionage, black ops, and even kidnappings or assassinations on behalf of the company. This man was definitely up to no good, but what business could he possibly have here?

"Reno! Want him taken out?" a soldier inquired as he walked through the door followed by several additional men.

"I haven't decided yet," the man named Reno replied coolly as he surveyed the group, his blue eyes moving slowly from Cloud to Aeris, and then pausing on Lightning.

"Hey," he winked. "How you doin'?"

"Gross…" Lightning hissed from behind as she wrapped a hand around the handle of her gunblade.

"Back off creep!" Cloud growled as he pulled the buster sword from his back and stepped forward threateningly.

"Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers!" Aeris pleaded as she rushed forward to grab Cloud's arm in an attempt to pull him away. "Come on…the exit's back there. Let's just get outta here!" she begged as the three of them turned and ran toward the back of the church.

"They were…mako eyes...and that girl…" Reno thought aloud as he ran his hands through his red spikes. "C'mon! Get to work!" he commanded to the soldiers. "Get rid of the blonde, but I need those girls alive!" he added as he casually walked through the flower bed toward the back room. "And don't step on the flowers…" he snarled.

* * *

"Come on!" Aeris called. "Once we reach the top of these steps, we can escape from the roof." She added as the trio hastily made their way up the winding staircase that lead to the roof.

"Hey!" A Shinra soldier yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "Don't go any further!" he commanded as he aimed his gun at the three of them.

"Looks like they aren't going to let us go." Cloud observed.

"What should we do?" Aeris asked as her worried eyes stared down at the soldiers.

"Well we can't let them catch us, can we?" Lighting asked rhetorically. "There's only one thing left to do." she added as she grabbed Aeris' arm and pulled her out of the line of fire. "Let's go!" The three of them continued up the stairs with the soldiers hot on their trails. As they neared the top of the building, they realized that the path to the roof was blocked by a large hole in the wooden platform, and attached to that hole was a long slide that traveled to the bottom and ended in a garbage pile.

"Quickly," Lightning urged as she leapt fearlessly over the gap and landed gracefully on the other side. Cloud quickly followed and the two of them turned around to wait for Aeris who looked absolutely petrified.

"I-I don't know." Aeris stammered as she looked at the large gap in the ground. "What if I fall?"

"Aeris, you have to hurry," Cloud begged.

"I don't know…I don't think I can." Aeris cried in panic.

"Alright, I'll hold them off," Lightning insisted as she pulled her gunblade from its sheath and began firing at the soldiers coming up the steps. "You need to jump!"

"R-Right!" Aeris agreed nervously. "M-Make sure they don't get through!" she added as she slowly approached the opening and prepared to jump.

"They're getting away! Attack! Attack!" Reno screamed from below causing the soldiers to open fire on the group once more just as Aeris was preparing to jump. The sound of the gunfire startled her causing her to misjudge her leap, and instead of landing on the other side, she crashed into the slide and began to roll to the bottom.

"Aeris!" Cloud and Lightning shouted in unison.

"Cloud! Lightning! Help!" Aeris cried from the bottom as two of the soldiers began to close in on her.

"Damn!" Lightning swore as she aimed her gunblade once more. "Cloud, we need to help her. I'll hold them off from here. You go back down and get her!" she commanded as she released a bullet from her weapon instantly killing one of the soldiers with a headshot.

"Okay," Cloud agreed as he leapt back over the gap and removed his weapon from his back. "Be careful!" he shouted as he began to make his way back down the steps again. As he rounded the first corner, he caught two soldiers off guard and easily put them down with a single slash from his oversized weapon. The next soldier coming up the steps appeared to put up more of a challenge as he parried Cloud's first strike with his own sword and rolled under the second.

"Cloud, help!" Aeris' scream momentarily distracted him from his opponent, and that brief distraction proved to be fatal as he was suddenly caught by a left hook to the jaw. Regaining his balance he froze when he realized that the soldier had pulled a pistol from his side and the barrel was now inches away from his forehead.

 _Fuck._

"It's over," the soldier taunted. "Any last-" he was suddenly silenced by a bullet cutting through his forehead. The man collapsed into a heap on the ground and Cloud turned in astonishment to look up at Lightning who gave him a quick nod and a slight smile.

 _Thank you._

"Cloud!" Aeris cried as she reached him and threw her arms around his middle. "Please help me!"

"Come on!" He commanded as he led her up the staircase once again. "Get on my back, and don't let go!" he ordered. The girl did as she was told and he took the leap over the opening. As they landed on the other side, Aeris dismounted and rushed forward to lead the way.

"This way," she shouted as she guided them up the remaining steps and onto the support beams that led to an opening in the ceiling. "They won't be able to follow us this way." She said as they crossed the beams and climbed to safety on the roof. "Phew…" she sighed in relief as she looked around. "They're after me again…"

"You mean it's not the first time they've been after you?" Lightning inquired as she raised an eyebrow.

"…no." Aeris replied quietly looking at her feet.

"They're the Turks," Cloud informed the two of them. "They're a Shinra organization. They scout for possible candidates for SOLDIER."

"This violently?" Aeris gasped. "I thought they were kidnaping someone.

"They're also involved with a lot of dirty stuff on the side," Cloud added. "Spying, murder…you know."

"They look like it," Lightning agreed. "But, why're they after you? There must be a reason…" She was right, the Turks didn't just stalk people for the hell of it. No, they definitely wanted something…but what could they possibly want from Aeris?

"No, not really," Aeris shook her head. "I think they believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER!" she added on jokingly.

"Maybe you do," Cloud laughed in response. "You want to join?"

"I don't know…" she sighed, "…but I don't want to get caught by THOSE people!"

"Then we should probably get outta here," Cloud advised as he walked over to the edge of the roof and jumped onto a mountain of metal and concrete that was stacked next to the church and began to climb down. "Let's go!"

"Wait…" Aeris gasped as Lightning leapt onto the mound as well and skillfully made her way down behind Cloud. "Wait, I said! Slow down…don't leave me." She pleaded as she carefully jumped from the roof of the church onto a slab of metal.

"Funny…" Cloud joked as he paused next to Lightning on a pillar made of concrete. "I thought you said you were cut out to be in SOLDIER."

"Oh! You're terrible!" Aeris exclaimed just as Cloud received a sharp elbow in the ribs courtesy of Lightning.

"Kind of harsh…" she scolded shaking her head in disapproval.

"Hey…Cloud." Aeris wheezed when she finally caught up to the pair. "Were you…ever in SOLDIER?"

"….I used to be. How'd you guess?" he asked.

"Your eyes," she said as her own green eyes traveled up and locked onto his own. "They have a strange glow…"

"That's the sign of those who have been infused with mako," he explained. "It's a mark of SOLDIER…but how did you know about that?"

"Oh, nothing." Aeris said dismissively.

"Nothing?" he questioned suspiciously.

"Right, nothing!" Aeris assured as she continued to climb down. "Whew! Finally made it," she happily exclaimed as she reached the bottom, "…now what?" she inquired as she looked between the two of them..

"Didn't you say that you wanted me to take you home?" Cloud asked.

"Right!" she confirmed. "My house is over here. Hurry before they come!" she added as she darted away from the secluded church and into the heart of the slums with the two ex-soldiers following closely behind.

"So, what do we do once we get her home?" Lightning inquired as she slowed her pace significantly to trail further behind the flower girl. "The others probably think we're dead, so we need to get back to Sector 7 to let them know we're okay."

"We'll head back once we get her home," Cloud responded. "I'd just feel really bad leaving her to find her own way home with those creeps around."

"You're right," she nodded in agreement. "You said you knew that guy…Reno, was it? Did you two used to work together, or something?"

"Sort of," Cloud began as he ran a hand through his spiked locks. "He's a Turk. The Turks basically serve as the president's lapdogs. There's been a long standing rivalry between them and the members of SOLDIER."

"I see," Lightning remarked thoughtfully. "Did you ever have any run-ins with any of them? I mean, other than just now?"

"I-um…I'm not sure," Cloud admitted as he tried but failed to recall any specific memories. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "He just seemed like he really didn't like you."

"Like I said…long standing rivalry," he shrugged. "He probably recognized me."

"Hmm…" Lightning hummed before dropping the subject. She continued to maintain her slow pace behind the brunette, and Cloud didn't understand what had caused the shift, but he felt as if something had suddenly changed in her demeanor. She walked silently beside him, but she seemed to be battling internally trying working up the courage to say whatever it was that was on her mind. "Hey…Cloud," she finally began nervously.

"Yeah?" he responded turning slightly to meet her aqua gaze. She seemed overly nervous about whatever she was about to say, and this fear really seemed to reflect in her eyes. Cloud found this odd, because Lightning didn't seem like the type that got nervous about anything, so what could she possibly have to be nervous about now?

"I-" she began only to lose confidence and avert her eyes to her hands to begin nervously playing with her fingers. "It's just…" she tried again before she finally mustered up the courage to look him in the eye again. "Thank you," she finally managed to spit out.

"For what?" Cloud asked as he studied her face.

"For what you did when we fell from the reactor," she clarified. "I remember what you did before we fell through that roof, and if it hadn't been for you, I'd most likely be dead right now….so…thank you."

"It's nothing," he said dismissively.

"It's not," she argued. "I don't know why you keep helping me, but I owe you." That statement stopped Cloud in his tracks and he stared at the woman incredulously. What could she possibly owe him for? He had only done what he felt was right, and besides, she would have done the same for him…he was sure of that.

"If I remember correctly, you saved me back at the church," he said as he recalled his brief distraction and the soldier that had pulled a gun on him. "You don't owe me anything."

"But.."

"I told you, it's nothing. You and I are partners, that's what we're supposed to do." That was honestly the best explanation that he could come up with, and he internally sighed in relief when she seemed satisfied with his answer. The truth was that he had no idea why he was so compelled to protect her. He barely knew the woman, but for some reason he couldn't explain, he felt drawn to her. He wanted to learn more about her, and he couldn't do that if she was dead.

"Come on, slowpokes!" Aeris called from ahead, pulling him from his thoughts of the pinkette. "My house is right around the corner!" Cloud and Lightning hurried to catch up to the brunette, and when they rounded the corner, Cloud felt his jaw hit the ground at the sight before him. Aeris' house was unlike anything that he had ever seen in the slums. The house was beautifully constructed of wood, not metal or concrete, and sat in the middle of a garden of flowers. It looked as if the plate above had been cracked years before, and now the sun shined down beautifully on the property. This was a rarity, and Cloud couldn't imagine how much something like this would cost in the slums.

"Wow!" Lightning exclaimed as they approached the house. "I didn't know that places like this existed in the slums." Aeris simply smiled at the pinkette as she led them into the house.

"I'm home, mom!" Aeris called as soon as they walked through the door. The house on the other side of the door was slightly old fashioned, but somehow reminded Cloud of his childhood home in Nibelheim. The room they now stood in was triangular shaped. There was a small table in the center of the room, and the walls were lined with bookcases and other pieces of furniture that were decorated with vases filled with fresh flowers. On the right side of the room, a small kitchen was carved out, and on the wall opposite from where they stood was a staircase. From the staircase, a set of feet emerged followed by an older brown haired lady in a green dress and white cooking apron. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her bangs were clipped to the side with a white barrette. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Aeris, but then narrowed in suspicion as she took in the appearances of her two escorts.

"Mom, this is Cloud," Aeris said cheerfully as she pointed to Cloud, "…and Lightning," she added with a quick nod to the pinkette. "They're my bodyguards."

"Bodyguards?" Aeris' mom gasped. "Aeris, were you followed again!?" she rushed forward to look over her daughter, "Are you alright!? You're not hurt, are you!?"

"I'm alright," Aeris assured as she playfully pushed her mother's hands away. "I had Cloud and Lightning with me." Her mother looked relived, but for some reason she still seemed suspicious of the pair as she looked between the two.

"Thank you," she nodded to the pair.

"So what are you two going to do now?" Aeris asked as she turned to face the two of them.

"…Is Sector 7 far from here?" Cloud asked in response. "We want to go to Tifa's bar."

"Is Tifa a girl?" Aeris asked with an innocent smile.

"Yeah," Cloud responded.

 _Where is she going with this?_

"A girl…friend?" she clarified as she shot a quick glance at Lightning, who for some reason turned her head slightly to hear his response.

"No." Cloud stated firmly. "She's just a friend. We grew up together, so she's like my sister."

"Oh, how nice!" Aeris beamed. "Let's see…" she began scratching her head, "Sector 7? I'll show you the-"

"You gotta be kidding." Cloud cut her off. "Why do you want to put yourself in danger again?"

"I'm used to it," Aeris assured him.

"Well, I don't know…" Cloud tried to dissuade. "…getting help from a girl…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean," Lightning snapped from his side, causing Aeris to giggle.

 _Oh, shit!_

"Yeah, you big meanie!" Aeris chimed in seizing the opportunity to gang up on him. "What did you mean by that?" It was obvious that Aeris was joking, but he knew Lightning well enough by now to know that she would not take that lightly, and that was further confirmed by the death glare that she had now locked on to him.

"I-I didn't mean…" he began, unsure what he was going to say.

"It's okay," Aeris giggled. "We know you're only kidding…right, Lightning?" Lightning didn't seem convinced as she continued to stare him down.

 _I'm going to pay for that one later…_

"Mom, I'm going to take them to Sector 7," Aeris told her mother. "I'll be back in a while…"

"But dear…" he mother began to object before quickly relenting. "I give up," she said as she threw her arms in the air in emphasis. "You never listen once you've made up your mind…but if you must go, why don't you go tomorrow? It's getting late now," she added as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

"Yeah, you're right, mom." Aeris agreed.

"You two are welcome to spend the night," Aeris' mom offered. "We only have two bedrooms though…so Aeris and I will share a bedroom, and you two are welcome to the other." she added on as Lightning and Cloud shot each other a nervous glance. "Aeris, please go make the bed." Aeris nodded her head and disappeared up the staircase, while her mother turned to Cloud to silently observe him.

"That glow in your eyes…" she finally said. "You're from SOLDIER, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Cloud nodded, "Or, I used to be" he clarified.

"…I don't know how to say this, but…" the woman began, "could you please leave here tonight, without telling Aeris?" Lightning appeared to be absolutely horrified by the woman's request, but Cloud understood perfectly. People were scared of SOLDIER, or rather, anyone associated to Shinra, so it was easy to assume that the last thing this woman wanted to do was shelter one. "SOLDIER…" the woman remarked thoughtfully, "…the last thing Aeris needs is to get hurt again."

 _What does she mean by that?_

"So…" Aeris began as she rushed down the staircase. "You need to go through Sector 6 to get to Sector 7. Sector 6 is a little dangerous so you'd better get some rest tonight," she added as she led the two of them up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Well…Goodnight!" she beamed at the two of them before disappearing into the second bedroom and closing the door tightly behind her. Cloud turned to his pink haired comrade and nodded toward the bedroom.

"After you," he said politely. Lightning opened the door and the two of them walked into the bedroom. The small room was decorated similarly to the rest of the house, and against the far wall sat a bed. Lightning shifted uncomfortably beside him before speaking up.

"It's all yours," she offered. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"I don't think so," he declined. "I'm used to sleeping on the ground, so I really don't mind. Plus, it wouldn't feel right."

"Because I'm a girl?" she taunted as she gave him a challenging look.

"No…that's not…I mean…" he tried to defend himself before finally giving up. "Fine. We're leaving overnight anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?" He crossed the room, propped his buster sword in the corner, and then flopped onto the bed. "Here, if you insist on sleeping on the floor, at least take this," he added as he laid the pillow on the wooden floor next to the bed.

"Thanks," she replied dryly as she removed her gunblade from behind her, and settled onto the ground. "So…you do know how to get back, right?" she asked as she looked up at him from the floor.

"Pretty much," he confirmed. "We'll have to pass through Sector 6 to get there though." Lightning seemed to cringe at that idea. "You been there before?"

"Yes," she admitted sourly. "That was my first taste of Midgar."

"Really?" he asked. "It's a pretty dangerous place, especially for a girl…I meant no offense by that, by the way," he added on hastily. "There's just a bunch of perverted creeps lurking around."

"Hmm." she acknowledged. There seemed to be more to her experience in the sector than she was letting on, and he couldn't help but wonder if something had happened the last time she was there, but he decided not to press the subject any further.

"Let's get some sleep," he suggested. "We'll leave in a few hours."

"Okay," she yawned and closed her eyes. "I'll wake you in a few hours." Cloud lay staring at the ceiling for a while before the shallow breathing next to him signaled that Lightning had finally fallen asleep. Curiously, he rolled over onto his side to look at his sleeping comrade. He couldn't figure out why, but something seemed different about her while she slept. As she lie there on the floor, she no longer maintained the hardened exterior that she normally wore. Instead, she looked peaceful, innocent, as if she didn't have a care in the world. Cloud couldn't help but admit that she was beautiful when she was sleeping. No, she was always beautiful, but even more so when she was asleep. Cloud continued to stare at his pink haired comrade until his eyes became heavy and he finally drifted off.

* * *

"My, how you've grown," his mother's voice echoed through his head, and suddenly he was lying on his bed back in Nibelheim. "I'll bet the girls never leave you alone." she chuckled as she strode through the room to stand next to the bed. Even after all of these years, he could still recall every detail of her face. She looked a lot like him, only shorter and thinner, and the years of stress had aged her considerably.

 _Mom._

"Not really" he heard himself say as he looked up at the ceiling.

"…I'm worried about you," she continued as she stared at him with concern in her icy blue eyes. "There are a lot of temptations in the city…I'd feel a lot better if you just settled down with a nice girlfriend."

 _What?_

"…I'm all right." he said stubbornly.

"You should have…" she pressed on unfazed by his obvious aversion to the issue, "…an older girlfriend, one that'll take care of you…I think that would be best for you." she smiled warmly at him.

"I'm not interested."

* * *

"Hey," Lightning's voice broke through into his dream.

"Mmm…mom?" he asked groggily causing Lightning to lightly snort.

"Not by a long shot," she replied. "If we're leaving, we need to go now. I think they're asleep."

"Okay," he agreed as he clumsily stood up and attempted to shake away the drowsiness.

"Shhh…" Lightning hissed. "We need to be quiet." she added as she reattached her gunblade behind her and passed his buster sword to him. "Jeez…" she whispered. "That thing is too heavy to be functional." He couldn't help but grin at her words as he accepted the sword and returned it to its place on his back.

"Let's go," he said as he slowly opened the door and crept through the hallway and down the stairs. Cloud felt bad for leaving without as much as a goodbye to the woman who had helped them so much, but it had been her mother's wish and he didn't want to cause any trouble. They managed to make escape from the house undetected and now crept through the deserted streets of Sector 5.

"I think Sector 6 is this way," Cloud said quietly as they continued to navigate the streets. "Once we pass through this-" he suddenly froze on the spot causing Lightning to walk right into him.

"What the-" she objected before she noticed what had startled him as well: Leaning casually against the wall leading to Sector 6 was none other than Aeris herself.

"You two are up bright and early," she cheerfully observed.

 _What the hell?_

"Aeris," Cloud began. "We couldn't ask you to go. It would be too dangerous."

"Are you done yet?" she asked sarcastically as she pretended to check the non-existent watch on her wrist. "You have to go through the slum in Sector 6 to get to 'Tifa's 7th Heaven', and I want to take you, so come on!" Cloud knew there was no point in trying to argue with the perky brunette and she would probably tag along whether they had wanted her to or not. Sighing in defeat, Cloud just waved his hand for her to follow as he walked through the tunnel, which led to an old, abandoned playground.

"The gate to Sector 7's in there," Aeris informed them. "But, why don't we take a break?" she added as she looked excitedly around at the playground. "I can't believe it's still here!" she exclaimed as she ran over to a large slide that was the shape of a moogle's head. "Cloud! Over here!" she commanded as she climbed the ladder to sit on top. Cloud sighed and followed the girl up the ladder and took a seat next to her. Lightning shot him an amused look from the ground as she sat on one of the nearby swings.

"What rank were you?" Aeris asked as soon as he was seated.

"Rank?" Cloud was momentarily confused by her question.

"You know, in SOLDIER." She clarified.

"Oh…I was…" he began, "…First Class." Aeris seemed surprised by this as her green eyes widened in surprise.

"Just the same as him…" she muttered.

"The same as who?" Cloud asked, giving her a perplexed look.

"My first boyfriend," she admitted as she withdrew her gaze and looked down at her hands.

"Were you…serious?" he asked sensing her hesitation towards the subject.

"No, but I liked him for a while." She tried to lie, but Cloud could see the obvious pain on her face as she spoke these words.

 _He must have been killed._

"I probably knew him, what was his name?" he pressed on.

"It really doesn't matter," Aeris shot back in a clear attempt to drop the subject.

"Okay…" Cloud shrugged in defeat. There was no need to press the subject if she really didn't want to talk about it. Cloud opened his mouth to change the subject, but was distracted when the gate on the opposite side of the playground opened and a very expensive looking red carriage that was pulled by a golden chocobo entered the area. The carriage stopped briefly and then made a left turn and began to head toward Walmarket. The carriage seemed out of place in the slums, but no more out of place than the woman standing on the back of it. She was dressed in a skin tight royal blue mini dress that didn't leave much to the imagination. On her feet were matching high heels, and her hair was pulled loosely into a pony tail behind her. Lightning seemed to notice the woman as well because she quickly jumped from the swing and stared after the carriage.

"Cloud!" she exclaimed. "Did you see-"

"Yeah," he replied as he hopped down from the slide to stand next to her.

"Who was that?" Aeris asked curiously from the slide as the two of them watched the carriage disappear.

"That was…" he began still unable to process what he had just seen.

"Tifa!" Lightning finished as the two girls turned to meet his shocked expression.

 _Tifa?_

* * *

 **A/N: I really struggled with this chapter, no lie. So much dialogue and then introducing Aeris…another fan favorite. I really hope I didn't mess her up. It was not my intention to make her appear weak in this chapter, I was just trying to stay true to game. For those of you wondering, I'm not going with the "love square" idea. I'm not really a fan of it, so I will be leaving Aeris out and keeping it a triangle between Cloud, Light and Tifa. I know that some of you wanted to see it, but after Crises Core, I just have a hard time picturing Aeris with anyone other than Zack. It just wouldn't feel right to me. I did, however, think it would be okay for her to flirt a little with Cloud...but very briefly. More than anything, she will support the CloudxLight relationship as we move forward. As you can tell, she's already pretty supportive of them and she sees something between them that they don't necessarily see themselves. As we progress, she will play the small role of matchmaker. Before you ask, no one was being suggestive when Light and Cloud were paired in a room together. That's just how it worked out since Aeris' house only has two bedrooms. It made sense to keep mother and daughter in the same room and pair the strangers in the second. It did make for a pretty awkward moment though…and they definitely had a few of those in this chapter XD!**

 **Are you all still feeling the Cloud perspective? I feel like I've seriously neglected him up until the previous chapter and felt like I owed him another. Plus, I felt like the church chapter needed to come from his perspective; I felt that he was the only one who could really explain certain things. What did you all think? Good? Bad? Meh? Should I continue to write from Cloud, or go back to Lightning? Or does it matter?**

 **I just wanted to say thanks again to all my readers and a special thanks to all those who have followed / favorited the story, new and old.**

 **Please, please, please feed the review monster! He's super-duper hungry (no slim fast, Wolf lol)! I know that I say this a lot, but your reviews are my motivation to keep writing and to update as fast as I do. With that said, I love you all…have a wonderful night…or morning for my readers overseas!**

 **Lady A**


	11. Chapter 10: I'll Chop It Off

**Disclaimer:**

 ***Square-Enix owns everything except my imagination.**

 ***Typos/errors. Over 8k this time! I hate editing, btw.**

Chapter 10 – I'll Chop It Off

Going back to Wall Market was not on the list of things that Lightning ever wanted to do again. In fact, she could think of a thousand other miserable things that she'd rather do instead. Venturing back into this territory was somewhere up there between fighting a behemoth barehanded and spending an entire day with Snow, but right now she would rather take her chances with the behemoth or her annoying future brother-in-law. She dreaded the possibility of running into more of Don Corneo's creeps. The last time she had encountered one, she had been weak, starved, dehydrated, and in no way capable of properly defending herself, and if Jessie hadn't come along, who knows what type of horrific things would have happened to her. This thought made her involuntarily shudder, and she quickly rubbed her arms to hide the goosebumps that had surfaced on her skin and silently hoped that neither Cloud nor Aeris would notice her discomfort.

 _I can do this,_ she told herself over and over _. I can._

This time would be different than the last time. She would be in a better position to defend herself if it came to that, but she prayed that it wouldn't. Don Corneo's man had threatened her. He knew her face, and she had no doubt that he had told his peers about their altercation, so that meant that they would probably be looking for her…and if Jessie had been right about Corneo working for Shinra…well, that just meant if she were spot by one of his men, Corneo wouldn't hesitate to turn her as well as the other two in to Shinra. Cloud and Aeris could easily blend in to the slums, but Lightning and her pink hair stood out like a sore thumb. She hated the idea of putting Cloud and Aeris in danger, and briefly considered the idea of going in alone before Cloud placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. He waited until Aeris had walked out of earshot before addressing her.

"Hey…you okay?" he asked gently clearly picking up on her nervousness.

"Yeah." she lied as she shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid the cerulean gaze that was now locked onto her face. She knew that if she looked him in the eye, he would be able to see right through the remainder of whatever bravery she still managed to retain. "I just really hate this place…" Her comment earned a her sympathetic look from the blonde. She hated people looking at her this way, and somehow she hated it even more coming from Cloud. "…but I'm okay, I promise." She assured.

"Okay." He nodded as he released her shoulder. "Just stay close, okay?"

"This place is scary in a lot of ways…Especially for a girl." Aeris commented as they stopped just outside the entrance. "So we've got to find Tifa fast."

"We won't be here long." Cloud assured them. "Once we find Tifa, we'll get outta here."

"Right…" Lightning murmured. "So where do we begin looking?"

"I think…" Aeris scratched her head thoughtfully. "…I think that carriage belongs to Don Corneo. Maybe we should ask around at 'The Honey Bee Inn' to see if anyone's seen her."

"The Honey Bee Inn?" Cloud inquired.

"It's Don Corneo's 'comfort house.'" Aeris explained. "It's where-"

"No," Cloud raised a hand to silence her. "I think I get it. But that doesn't explain why Tifa would be there."

"There's no guarantee she is," Aeris continued. "But it's a place to start." Lightning had been dreading this possibility all along. Of all of the places that Tifa could be in Sector 6, why did it have to be the one place that she was trying to avoid at all costs? She cringed at the thought of willingly walking into Don Corneo's territory and basically announcing her presence to the very people who were most likely searching for her.

Thanks to the signage and the crowds, the trio easily found their way to Don's comfort house. It was easy to tell that Cloud was sympathetic to her anxiety because he seemed to be walking closer to her than usual; they were practically shoulder to shoulder as they made their way toward the establishment. Normally, this type of space invasion would have annoyed her, but somehow Cloud's presence made her feel safe, but of course she would never tell him this.

In her opinion, the comfort house was more revolting in person than she could have possibly imagined. The entire outside of the building was decorated in explicit neon signs, and above the entrance hovered a single nude female bumblebee. Lined up outside of the establishment were several dozen men who were impatiently awaiting their turn. Lightning sighed in disgust at the sight before her. She couldn't fathom why any male would prefer this to actual romance or a relationship, although she couldn't pretend to be an expert in either of those two things. Hell, due to her devotion to Serah and her military career, she had never even had a boyfriend, but it had to be better than resorting to this, right?

"Um…Excuse me," Cloud said as the three of them approached the doorman standing outside the entrance. Lightning was surprised to see that Cloud's demeanor had changed drastically since they had arrived and now he seemed to be just as uncomfortable as she was.

"Welcome!" the man smiled crookedly at Cloud. "Even unpopular dweebs like you may meet their destiny here!" he recited as if from a script before noticing the two girls that stood on either side of him. "Ahem…You look like you're all set there, buddy, but…" he went on as he continued to look between Lightning and Aeris, "…Are you looking for another girlfriend?"

"You know a girl named Tifa?" Cloud asked not wishing to waste any time.

"Hey, you're pretty fast!" The man praised cheerfully. "Tifa's our newest girl, but unfortunately, she's having an interview right now. Here at the Honey Bee Inn, it's customary for all the new girls to be taken to Don Corneo's mansion. Don Corneo is a famous dilettante, but now he wants to settle down and is in the market for a bride. Say…you got two good lookin' heifers there. Why don't you take them to Don's place, and you'll make a mint." Lightning was absolutely appalled by the statement she had just heard and instinctively wrapped her hand around the handle of her gunblade and stepped forward challengingly.

 _I'll show you heifer, scumbag!_

"Let's go!" Aeris suggested, immediately taking notice of Lightning's anger. She wrapped a hand around the pinkette's arm and began to pull her away. "We need to go to Corneo's mansion," she said once she was sure that Lightning wasn't about to break free to start trouble.

"She's right…if we want to find Tifa, we'll need to go to Corneo's." Cloud agreed. "Look…" he dropped his voice low enough for only Lightning to hear. "…I don't like this place either, but please don't do anything to cause trouble…at least not until we find Tifa." As much as Lightning hated to admit it, he was right. She absolutely hated the fact that these raunchy men were talking about her as if she were a piece of property or an object that was only meant to fulfill a man's desires, but finding Tifa was paramount, so if that meant that she'd have to endure the crude comments for the time being, then so be it.

"Hey, you got a cute one with you," a stranger called out to Cloud. Lightning had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she had failed to notice that they had arrived at what she assumed was Don Corneo's mansion. She had fallen a few paces behind the others and when she looked up to see the man who was now ogling Aeris, her stomach dropped.

 _I know him!_ she thought as her heart began to race and her hand immediately wrapped around the handle of her gunblade.

"Well, well, well…" Corneo's lackey smiled wryly at Lightning. "Look who decided to show her face again." The man's comment caused both Cloud and Aeris to turn and look at her in confusion. Lightning couldn't contain the heat that quickly filled her face, and she began to shake her head violently.

"No!" she insisted. "It's not like that!" Her response seemed to further amuse the man who was now eyeing her eagerly.

"I guess you've had a change of heart then?" the man smirked. "Or, are you workin' for this guy now?" This comment caused Cloud's cheeks to flush slightly as well, but luckily the man didn't seem to notice as his gaze never left Lightning. "So, what's it gonna be ladies?"

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Aeris chimed in and quickly pulled the two of them out of earshot. "Ok, this is definitely Corneo's mansion, so why don't Lightning and I go in and take a look?"

"No!" Cloud nearly shouted causing both of them to jump. Lightning was surprised at the blonde's outburst. He usually did a pretty good job of remaining impassive in nearly every situation, but this time the emotion in his voice was hard to miss. "You can't!"

 _What's gotten in to him?_

"And, why not?" Aeris inquired in an amused tone as if she already knew the answer.

"Don't you know what kind of…place this is?" Cloud asked as his gaze shifted nervously between the two of them.

"What are we supposed to do then?" Aeris pressed. "You want to go in with us?" she added on jokingly.

"Well being a man, that'll be pretty hard." Cloud stated matter of factly. "Besides, if I bust in there, it'll cause too much commotion…but, I can't just let the two of you go in alone…oh, man." Cloud seemed to be at a loss. Lightning thought it was funny that he was struggling to find a solution when the obvious answer was dangling right in front of his face. Aeris seemed to have arrived at the same solution that she had because when their eyes met, the two of them burst out in a fit of laughter. "What's so funny?" he demanded as he eyed them suspiciously.

"Cloud…" Lightning began trying to suppress her laughter to adopt a more serious expression. "…Why don't you dress up like a girl? It's the only way for all of us to get in together."

"WHAT!?" his eyes widened in shock. "I-I can't!"

Lightning had been searching for an opportunity to make Cloud pay for his sexist comments back at Aeris' house, and would have never dreamt that something this good would present itself. The shocked expression that was now plastered to his face would have been enough satisfaction for her, but knowing that he'd actually have to go through with it in order to enter Corneo's mansion made the payback seem even sweeter.

"You are worried about Tifa, aren't you?" Aeris demanded in a stern tone, causing Cloud to squeeze his eyes tightly shut before hesitantly nodding. "Okay then, come on! We have to hurry." She urged as she led them back over to the man standing guard.

"Can you just wait for a little while?" Aeris asked with a smile. "I've got a cute friend I want to bring."

"A friend, huh?" the man grinned and ran a hand through his oily hair. "Sounds good to me…The Don will be happy too. Usually, he only takes in three girls a night, but I think he'll be willing to make an exception tonight." the man informed them before returning his burning gaze to Lightning. "Who knows, maybe I can even..heh heh." He added suggestively. Lightning felt her blood run cold at the man's comment and did her best not to react in any way that would get them into trouble. She could tell that Cloud had also seemed offended by the man's lewd comment because he let out a low growl and eyeballed the man angrily.

"Okay, then!" Aeris announced sensing the tension in the air. "Let's go get our friend!" Aeris exclaimed in a fake cheeriness. "Wow!" she sighed wearily once they were away from the mansion and back in the streets of Wall Market. "What a creep!"

"I really don't like the idea of you two going in there," Cloud admitted.

"And you think we do?" Lightning asked coldly. "There are so many other things that I'd rather do than hang around comfort houses or parade around in some perverts mansion being eyeballed like I'm a piece of meat…but don't forget that Tifa is in there and in danger, so if we want to get her out we have to go in…I don't see another alternative."

"Fine." Cloud relented. "What do we need to do?" That was a good question…Cloud needed a disguise if they hoped to get into the mansion together, but fashion had never Lightning's area of expertise so she prayed that Aeris had some insight on the situation.

"We need to find you some clothes." Aeris said. "I saw a really cute clothing store on the way here. Why don't we stop there and see if they have anything?"

* * *

 _What have I gotten myself into?_ Cloud thought as the three of them walked casually into the local clothing shop. _All I wanted was to protect them from going into that vile place alone, and look where it's landed me._

"Excuse me," Aeris called to the shop owner. "I'd like to buy a dress."

"Hmm.." the elderly shop owner acknowledged from behind the cash register. "What are you looking for exactly?" Lightning and Aeris exchanged amused glances before Aeris decided to take the lead on the conversation.

"You know, mister…my friend here has always said that just once, he'd like to dress up like a girl."

"What!? A tough lookin' guy like that?" the man asked as his eyes widened in shock. Cloud felt his face burn red as the shop owner locked his scrutinizing gaze on him and began to look him up and down. Lightning wasn't helping to ease his embarrassment as she fought to contain her giggles, but Cloud was amazed at how easily Aeris seemed to keep her composure to remain neutral.

"So, how 'bout it?" Aeris smiled. "Will you make him one?"

"It might be interesting." The shop owner laughed. "I was getting' a little bored just makin' regular clothes."

"Then you'll do it for us?" Aeris asked hopefully.

"Yeah, all right." The man agreed. "What kind of dress do you want?"

"Hmm…" Aeris thought as she walked around him and examined him from head to toe. Cloud had never felt so uncomfortable in his entire life as the brunette and shop owner studied him deciding which type of dress to put him in. "How about something that's soft and shimmers?" Aeris finally suggested. "Oh, and long sleeved and floor length. It'll be more convincing if we cover his muscular arms and those big feet of his."

"Sounds good," the owner agreed. "I'm thinking blue…it'll really bring out his eyes. Oh, and he'll need a wig…" Lightning seemed to lose her composure altogether at this suggestion and burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry!" she choked as tears began to stream from her eyes.

"Lightning!" Aeris scolded. "Be nice! We don't want him to change his mind about this, do we? Why don't you go out and try to find a wig?" she suggested. "Cloud and I will stay here for measurements."

"Okay," she chuckled. "Where am I supposed to find one anyway?" she turned to ask the shop owner.

"Are you familiar with the gym?" he asked. "You'll find a lot of people like your friend there. You should go and talk to them."

"Right." she nodded. "Well, I guess I'll be back soon..." she grinned as she retreated toward the exit. Cloud sent a halfhearted glare in her direction causing her aqua eyes to light up in amusement. She seemed to be having too much fun at his expense, but Cloud honestly loved seeing a smile on her normally emotionless face. In fact, he loved seeing her happy, period. "…Have fun, Miss Cloud!" she giggled before disappearing through the exit.

 _She will pay for that one…so help me god._

* * *

It had been over an hour since Lightning had departed for the gym and Cloud was becoming increasingly worried as the minutes slowly ticked by. What if something had happened to her while she was out looking for his disguise? What if Corneo's men had caught her, or she had decided to go it alone? She wouldn't do that, would she? She had seemed to be a nervous wreck since she stepped foot into this district, and for good reason too. With this knowledge, Cloud couldn't imagine that she would willingly walk into Corneo's mansion alone…but maybe she would to protect Aeris. That seemed like the type of thing she would do. Cloud was just about to go look for her when she barged through the door covered with sweat and holding a blonde wig in her hand.

"Got it!" she panted as she held it up for the others to see.

"What took so long?" Cloud demanded as he rushed forward to study her face. "We were worried."

"Sorry," she apologized taken aback by his obvious concern. "The guys at the gym had what you were looking for, but the damn meatheads demanded that I compete for it."

"Compete?" he asked giving her a puzzled expression.

"Squats." She clarified. "I had to compete against a guy named 'Big Bro'."

"And you won?" Cloud asked impressed. Everyone knew that Big Bro was a legend in the slums for his athletic abilities, and it was rumored that he had never suffered a defeat in his life.

"I have the wig, don't I?" Lightning smirked. "Here! It's all yours" she thrust the wig into his hands. "I don't even want to know where he was keeping that thing!" she chuckled as she walked across the small shop and took a seat next to the fitting room. "So…do we get to see the finished product?"

"The dress is in fitting room, sir." the shop owner informed him. "I think you'll be quite happy with our selection."

Cloud nervously entered the fitting room and pulled the drape behind him and then turned to examine his apparel for the night. Luckily, the blue satin dress that had been selected wasn't form fitting, and was loose enough that he could still wear his usual clothes underneath. It was long sleeved as requested, and would trail down to the floor to easily cover his boots. Cloud removed the dress from the hanger and began to pull at the fabric.

"How…do you put this on?" He called out nervously and to his surprise Lightning poked her head through the drape. He was fully clothed, but he still felt embarrassed at her sudden presence in the dressing room.

"Whoa!" he turned in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Oh please!" she teased. "Do you want my help, or not?" Cloud mulled it over for a few seconds before finally giving in and handing the dress over to Lightning who began to study the fabric with an equally puzzled look. "I think this part is the top…yes…and this part here unzips…sorry…dresses were never my thing…there, this should do it," she stated while handing the dress back to Cloud. "Just step into it, and I'll zip the back." Hesitantly, he did as instructed and turned around to face her.

"Well?" he asked nervously. "Would I pass?"

"Hmm…" she began, carefully choosing her words. "Right now, you look like a very confused man. Let me get the wig." She added as she left the fitting room and returned a few seconds later holding the blonde wig. "Let's put this on and…there. Well…you definitely look the part." She said as she adjusted the fake golden locks of hair that were framing his face and separated a few tangled curls that were hanging beside his shoulder.

"Alright, let's see!" Aeris called from just outside the door. Cloud stepped from the fitting room and Aeris' jaw dropped at the sight of him.

"Wow…" she exclaimed as she walked slowly toward him and began tousling his blonde locks. "Cloud you look just like…"

"A very confused man?" he asked dryly causing Lightning to snort beside him.

"Her!" Aeris corrected as her eyes turned to Lightning. "I thought there was some resemblance between the two of you, but man, you look like twins!"

"I really don't see it," Lightning said dismissively. "Are we ready to go yet?"

"Not quite…" Aeris relied as she continued to look over Cloud's ensemble. "Don't you think we should get dresses as well?" she asked Lightning.

"Absolutely not." Lightning answered firmly.

"I think that sounds like a great idea," Cloud responded, grinning from ear to ear in anticipation of Lightning sharing his discomfort.

"I want to look cute too!" Aeris pleaded.

"Well, I don't." Lightning crossed her arms stubbornly. "I don't want to make myself more appealing to those perverts. I just want to get in, find Tifa, and get the hell out of there. Besides, that creep has already seen us…so dressing up is a waste of time. Do what you want, but I don't see the point." She made a valid argument. More than anything, Cloud wanted to keep the girls safe from Corneo and his men, and dressing them provocatively wouldn't help to achieve this goal.

"I suppose you're right," Aeris pouted. "I guess we're ready then."

"What are we going to do with this?" Lightning asked, picking up the buster sword and passing it to Cloud. "It's kind of memorable, don't you think? That man would recognize it immediately, so you can't just waltz in there with it on your back…plus, it wouldn't really match your dress," she added on with a snicker.

"You're pure evil," he responded with a grin. "Don't worry. I have materia that'll take care of it. I can shrink it and put it in my pocket. I can take yours as well, if you'd like."

"No," Lightning shook her head. "My gunblade stays with me."

"You can't just walk in there with that strapped to you," Cloud explained. "They'd view it as a threat."

"Fine," she sighed in defeat before removing her gunblade from its holster and handing it over.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it for you," he promised as he shrank the weapon and secured it in his pocket. "Everyone should have materia going in there." Cloud added. "Aeris, do you have any?" He asked turning to Aeris who shook her head.

"No, but I know how to use it," she responded.

"Then take this fire materia," he offered as he placed the green materia in her hand. "I also have this restore materia. I'd feel better if one of you carried it. I was never too good at restorative magic." He first offered the materia to Lightning who politely shook her head.

"Not my area of expertise either," she responded. Cloud found this comment odd considering she had apparently never used materia before he had given her the lightning materia a few days ago. How could she possibly know that she isn't good at something unless she'd tried it?

"I'll take it," Aeris smiled. "I've always been pretty good with them." Cloud decided to not question Lightning's comment and instead handed the materia over to Aeris, but made a mental note to ask about it later.

"Okay…" Cloud said. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

"Damn, your friend is HOT!" Don Corneo's man announced as soon as the trio approached the mansion. Cloud shifted nervously as the greasy man approached him to study his appearance. "Wait…sisters?" his eyes widened in shock as he looked between Cloud and Lightning.

 _Why does everyone think that we're related?_

"No," Lightning denied in an attempt to draw the man's attention away from Cloud. "Just a resemblance. I'm an only child."

"Well, okay then. Come in, come in!" he backed up and opened the mansion door wide for them to enter. "Three ladies coming through!" he called out to an unknown person as he ushered them inside.

The inside of the mansion had a foreign appearance, and Cloud immediately recognized the decor as being Wutaian. The interior of the building was constructed of beautiful cherry wood, and an exquisite staircase to the right of the entrance led to an upper level with golden walls with Wutaian symbols painted onto the surface. A large rug was stretched across the floor beneath them that bore the image of a dragon, and another dragon canvas hung on the far wall in front of them. To his left, he noticed a small counter with another man residing behind it.

"Hey, ladies." the man said coolly as he walked from behind the counter to greet them. "I'll go and let the Don know you're here. Wait here and don't wander around!" he commanded as he ascended the stairs and disappeared into one of the rooms.

"Now's our chance," Aeris whispered. "Let's find Tifa!"

"Okay…but, both of you stay close." Cloud nodded in agreement. "I'm serious!" he added, aiming the second part directly at Lightning. He knew that Aeris was smart enough to not stray away from him, and while Lightning was very smart, she was also overly confident in her abilities, and he was afraid that confidence would lead her into trouble. Cloud didn't want to take any risks, especially not in a place like this, so it was for the best that they all stayed together.

Since there did not appear to be any additional rooms to explore on the first level, the trio decided to climb the stairs to the second level to begin their search for their missing friend. As they passed the first room at the top of the stairs, they heard a group of men chatting excitedly inside. Cloud figured that it'd be best to avoid this room, at least for now. It sounded as if they were talking about something that was on the television anyway, so it was highly unlikely that Tifa would be in this room. As they passed the room in the center of the hallway and its huge cherry double doors, they figured that it'd be best to avoid this area as well as it seemed to lead directly to Don Corneo. So, with the first two rooms off limits, their only option was to descend the stairway at the end of the hallway that more than likely led to a basement.

"I'll go first," Cloud offered as he took the lead down the stairwell. His worst suspicions about the place were automatically confirmed as soon as he stepped foot into the room at the bottom of the stairs. The dungeon that the three emerged in was set up as some sort of torture chamber. In the center of the icy cold room was a table with the image of a human outline drawn onto its surface, and attached to the table were chains and shackles to hold a prisoner in place. The other tables in the room were filled with whips, gags, and other similar items, while the walls of the room were lined with other devices that he'd rather not know the use of. The very thought of women being tortured, sexually abused or even raped in this room made Cloud feel sick to his stomach, and it made him feel even worse to know that if they failed tonight, that it could very well be Lightning or Aeris in here.

 _I'll never let that happen,_ he silently declared. _I'll die before anyone touches either of them._

"Tifa?" Lightning questioned from beside him. Cloud had been so fixated on the chamber that he had failed to notice the woman standing alone on the opposite side of the room.

"Lightning!?" Tifa turned around to face the three of them with a look of disbelief on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to find you," Lightning explained.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Aeris!" the flower girl bounded forward to grasp Tifa's hand and shook it excitedly. "Cloud's told me so much about you!"

"Hey, you're the one who was with Cloud in the park…" Tifa recalled as she studied the girl in front of her.

"Right…" Aeris confirmed. "…with Cloud."

"Oh…" Tifa sighed as her crimson eyes fell to the ground.

"Don't worry." Aeris assured. "We just met. It's nothing."

"What do you mean? 'Don't worry'…about what?" Tifa asked with a perplexed look on her face. "No! Don't misunderstand. Cloud and I grew up together. Nothing more."

"Poor Cloud…" Lightning chuckled. "…Having to stand here and listen to the two of you call him nothing." she added as she slapped him playfully on the back. "Right, Cloud?" Tifa gave her a puzzled look before she crossed the room to examine Cloud's face. She stared at him for several moments before their eyes finally met. Tifa nearly jumped out of her skin when the realization hit her like a freight train.

"Cloud!?" she squeaked. "Why are you dressed like that!? And what are you doing here!?...Never mind. What happened to the two of you after the fall? Are either of you hurt!?"

"Slow down…let me answer," Cloud pleaded as he placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. "I'm dressed like this because there was no other way to get in here. And Lightning and I are alright. Aeris helped us out." He added with a quick smile to the flower girl. "Tifa, explain what you are doing in a place like this."

"Yeah, um…" she began nervously before looking uncertainly looking at Aeris.

"Ahem! I'll just plug my ears," Aeris insisted as she turned around and jabbed her fingers into her ears like a small child. Tifa let out a soft laugh before turning back to Cloud and Lightning.

"…I'm glad you two are okay." she smiled warmly at them.

"Thanks," Lightning responded. "How's Jessie?"

"She's fine…" Tifa assured her. "…she's been worried about you though."

"So, what happened?" Cloud asked.

"When we got back from Sector 5 reactor, we saw a weird man," Tifa explained. "Barret caught him and squeezed some information out of him. That's when Don's name popped up. Barret told me to leave the leech alone…but somethings been bothering me."

"I see," Cloud responded. "So you wanted the story straight from Corneo's mouth?"

"Well, I made it here, but now I'm stuck," Tifa admitted sourly. "Corneo is looking for a bride. Every day he gets three girls, chooses one of them, and then…well…" she trailed off unable to finish the thought, but Cloud knew exactly what she had been trying to say. "Anyway, I have to be the…girl for tonight."

"Sorry, but I overheard," Aeris chimed in from the corner. "Tonight Corneo brought in four girls, and well, if you know the four girls then there's no problem, right?"

"I guess so, but…" Tifa looked hesitantly between Aeris and Lightning.

"And there are three real girls here, right?" Aeris pressed on.

"No, Aeris!" Cloud interrupted. "I can't involve you."

"Oh, I see…" Aeris teased. "So it's alright for Tifa and Lightning to be in danger?

"No!" Cloud shot back angrily. "I don't want either of them in…" He stopped suddenly afraid to finish the rest of that statement. While it was understandable that he should want to keep his childhood friend safe, he ran the risk of being questioned about why he cared so much for Lightning's safety, and quite frankly, he still didn't know the answer himself…He just did.

"Heeeey!" a man yelled from the top of the stairs behind them causing them all to jump. "It's time, ladies. The Don is waiting!" he added as the four of them silently climbed the stairs to await further instruction. "I told you not to wander around…I tell ya, women nowadays…" he shook his head as they walked through the hallway and stopped outside of the double doors in the center of the hallway. "The Don is inside," he opened the doors and ushered them in to a large office. "Alright, ladies! Line up in front of the Don!" he commanded as the four of them spread out and formed a line in front of the overweight blonde haired pimp. Aeris stood on the far left and Tifa took her place on the far right, and Cloud and Lightning stood in between them. Don Corneo seemed to light up at the sight of them as his hungry eyes looked each of them up and down.

"Hmmmmm!" he hummed as he walked around his desk to get a better look. "Good…splendid! Now, let's see…which girl should I choose? Hmm…hmm…" Corneo walked over to inspect Aeris. "Such a dainty and sweet little thing…oh and shy, are we? You would be a nice change from the usual…oh, but you!" he added excitedly as his hungry eyes traveled to Lightning. "Don't you look strong…" he remarked as he extended his hand to run a finger down her cheek. Cloud could see Lightning grit her teeth in anger as she turned her head away. "Oooh hoo! And defiant too…oh, I'd have fun breaking you!" Cloud felt the anger rise in his chest at the man's sick comment, and quickly found his hand in his pocket wrapped around his shrunken buster sword.

 _One more word, pervert, and I'll break you!_

"Hmm…this one though…" Corneo mumbled as he moved in front of Cloud, who quickly composed himself to hide his rage. The man looked from Cloud to Lightning and back again. "Are you two related? Can't say that I've ever had sisters before…" he laughed and Cloud slowly shook his head. "No? Oh, well that's a shame. We could have had some fun…you're a little big for my liking though…Oh my, aren't you a sexy little thing!" he complimented as he wandered over to Tifa. "Wow! Look at those legs…and…wow!" he exclaimed as his eyes traveled up Tifa's body and landed on her breasts. "Such a hard decision, but I can only pick one…hmmm…." he muttered as he turned from Tifa and returned to stand in front of them in apparent deep thought. Cloud shifted nervously as he anxiously awaited the man's decision. Somehow, he had a feeling that the raunchy man would choose either Tifa or Lightning, and his worst fears were confirmed when the pimp's excited voice finally broke through the deafening silence. "Woohoo! I've finally made up my mind!" he rejoiced. "My choice for tonight is…this rose haired beauty!" Cloud felt his stomach drop as Corneo rushed forward to grab Lightning's arm and pulled her forward. "I'm feelin' up for a challenge tonight!" he sneered and Cloud instinctively took a step forward, only to be stopped in his tracks by Lightning who slowly shook her head.

"This one is mine," Corneo announced to the escort that still stood beside the door. "You and your men can have the rest." he added as he pulled Lightning from the office into a room in the back. Cloud reluctantly allowed himself and the others to be led from the room. He despised the thought of leaving Lightning alone with that vile man for even a few minutes, but he trusted that she could take care of herself while he took out the rest of these perverts. She was after all armed and very deadly with her lightning materia.

"In here ladies," the escort stopped outside of the first door they had passed on their way in and opened it wide. As they were ushered into the room, they caught the attention of four men that were huddled in front of the television that blared in the corner of the room. Their eyes swept hungrily over the three them before they rose to their feet. "You all have a good night." The escort laughed as he quickly backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Oooh…check out the rack on that one! Come'mere, baby!" one of the men called out to Tifa who rolled her eyes in disgust.

"The one in pink is all mine," a second man called causing Aeris to shift nervously closer to Cloud for protection.

"Dibs on the blonde!" a third called.

"No fair!" the fourth called. "I wanted that one."

"There's enough to go around," the man replied as he walked eagerly toward Cloud.

 _That's it, I've had enough!_ Cloud thought as he reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out his buster sword to restore it to its previous size.

"Whoa, whoa, baby! Put the sword down," the man laughed nervously as he slowly backed away. "Mmmm…I do like'em strong though!" The last statement had barely passed the man's lips before Cloud swung his sword angrily, completely decapitating the man and spraying his peers with blood. The other three froze in horror at what they had just witnessed, before drawing their own weapons and charging toward him. Luckily, Tifa was quick to respond as she immediately took up a fighting stance and began unleashing a fury of punches onto one of the men. Aeris seemed to be momentarily paralyzed in fear as she watched the scene play out before her, but she quickly composed herself and released a powerful ball of fire which scorched the remaining two men.

"Thanks," Cloud nodded to the two girls. "Time to ditch this thing," he muttered as he tore the dress from his body and ripped the wig from his head. "Much better..." he sighed as he adjusted his SOLDIER uniform and returned his sword to its proper place on his back. "Okay…we need to find Lightning, and fast!" The others nodded in agreement before following him from the room.

Each second they spent retracing their steps back to Don Corneo's room felt like an eternity. Cloud became increasingly nervous for Lightning's safety when they didn't encounter her along the way. He felt certain that she would have grown tired of Corneo's lewd comments and advances by now and would have probably killed the man on the spot once they were alone behind closed doors. Perhaps he had somehow overpowered her? They had taken too long in dealing with Corneo's lackeys, and each second they had spent dealing with those men was another painful second Lightning was forced to spend with alone with that pervert. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, and he was powerless to stop the horrific images from entering his mind as they quickly ran through Corneo's office toward the back room.

 _Please, please be okay…_

As they burst through the door, Corneo jumped in fright. Lightning was nowhere to be seen and the fat little man now sat alone on his oversized bed wearing nothing but his red velvet bathrobe smoking a cigarette. His surprise quickly morphed into amusement as he looked between the three of them.

"Where is she?" Cloud growled angrily. "Where's Lightning!"

"Oh, was that her name?" Corneo relied nonchalantly as he took another draw from his cigarette. "Oh, don't worry, she's in good hands."

"I said…Where. Is. She." Cloud demanded again through grit teeth.

"Hmm…wouldn't you like to know?" Corneo sniggered. "I knew she was a strong one. She put up quite the fight, ya know." Cloud immediately pulled the sword from his back and extended the blade right under Corneo's chin. The sudden threat seemed to startle the man as he looked nervously from the sword to Cloud. "B-Be reasonable now, boy." He stuttered. "If you kill me, you'll never find her."

"Shut up!" Cloud hissed. "Now tell us where she is or I'll chop it off!" he added as he nodded to Corneo's lower region. This comment really seemed to ignite the fear in the man as he began to panic and whimpered loudly.

"No, no, not that! Please!" Corneo begged. "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

"So start talking." Cloud snarled impatiently. "Where is she?"

"The Shinra has her." He quickly answered.

"Shinra?" Aeris gasped. "Why would the Shinra take her?"

"I don't know!" Corneo blubbered.

"You better tell us, or I'll rip it off!" Aeris threatened as she took a step forward.

"I-I really don't know!" Corneo sobbed. "We've been lookin' for her for a few weeks now, ever since she had a run in with one of my boys in the market…and then two days ago the president sent word that he wanted me to keep an eye out for her and to notify him immediately if she were to turn up. I never thought she'd willingly walk right in."

"Did you hurt her?" Cloud asked through grit teeth as he grabbed the man's bathrobe and pulled him forward so close that their noses were nearly toughing.

"N-No," Corneo stammered.

"You better not be lying to me!" Cloud threatened. "Did you touch her?"

"N-No! I'm swear I'm not lying." Corneo whimpered. "I wanted to, but they wouldn't let me. The Turks were waiting for her back here. They just knocked her out, but I swear that I didn't touch her." Cloud let go of the man and backed away still seething with anger.

"Tifa, didn't you say you had something you wanted to ask this scumbag?"

"Yeah…what did your assistants find out two days ago?" Tifa asked as she took a few steps forward. Corneo looked momentarily confused before her question finally registered.

"I-I can't tell you that," Corneo shook his head defiantly. "They'd kill me."

"Tell me, or I'll smash it," Tifa threatened as she cracked her knuckles menacingly.

"No, No, please!" Corneo whimpered. "…I just made'em find out where the man with the gun arm was…That's what I was told to do."

"By whom," Tifa inquired.

"It was Heidegger of Shinra!" Corneo explained. "Heidegger, the head of Peace Preservation!"

"The head of Peace Preservation?" Cloud scratched his head in confusion. Why would the head of the Peace Preservation be looking for Barret?

"What is the Shinra up to?" Tifa continued to grill the man.

"They're trying to crush a small rebel group called AVALANCHE, and want to infiltrate their hideout…and they're going to crush them…literally…by breaking the supports holding up the plate above them."

"Break the supports?" Tifa asked in confusion.

"You know what's going to happen?" Corneo continued. "The plate'll go PING, and everything's gonna go BAMMM!" he smacked his hands together for emphasis. "I heard their hideout's in the Sector 7 slums…I'm just glad that it's not here in Sector 6."

"They're going to wipe out the Sector 7 slums!?" Tifa gasped in horror as she turned to rush toward the door. "We have to get to Sector 7! Cloud will you come with me?"

"Of course, Tifa, but what about Lightning?" He asked as he and Aeris turned to follow her.

"I know you care about her," Aeris placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I do too, but we need to help Sector 7 first, and then we can go after her. She's strong, so she'll be okay. She'll be able to take care of herself." Was Aeris really so naïve as to believe that Lightning would be alright o her own inside the Shinra headquarters? That place was dirty, and full of dark secrets. Clearly, she was oblivious to what went on inside that place. There's no way that Lightning could ever be considered safe while she was in their hands, he needed to get her out before they did something to her that couldn't be undone. "Cloud…" Aeris began again. "…I promise that we'll help her, but we have to help Sector 7 first." Cloud sighed in frustration. As much as he wanted to drop everything and storm that damn place to rescue her, he realized that he couldn't prioritize one woman's safety over an entire city's.

"Just a second!" Corneo called from behind.

"Shut up!" Cloud growled angrily.

"No, wait, it'll only take a second." He begged before scooting backwards on his bed to lean casually against the headboard. "Why do you think a scum like me babbled on about the truth?"

"Who cares?" Cloud responded coldly.

"Hmm…thought you'd say that." Corneo responded with a smug smile on his face. "But you're wrong. The correct answer is because I knew I'd win!" he added as he pressed a button on the headboard causing the floor gave way beneath their feet, plunging them all into darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! Finally made it home from Florida earlier tonight! It's exhausting to know that in the past week I have spent over 32 hours in a car. I had a lot of fun though and can't wait to go back next year!**

 **What did you all think of the chapter? I'm feeling pretty good about it, and I really hope that Cloud and Light weren't too OOC. I was worried about Lightning, but I think that any woman in that situation would be nervous, no matter how strong she is or wishes to appear…that's just my opinion though. Her vulnerability really opened Cloud up though, don't ya think? I had so much fun writing their interactions, and I absolutely love putting a comedic spin on some of them. This was definitely one of my favorite chapters to write so far. Just out of curiosity...how did you all feel about the split perspectives in this chapter? I'd love to read your feedback on it.  
**

 **Sooo…I wanted to give everyone a warning that the rating of this story will be changing from T to M very soon. I feel like this very suggestive chapter definitely pushes the story into M territory and it will only get worse as we progress. I really don't want to get in trouble with the website moderators. I'm not sure how strict they are on the rating policy, so I'd rather err on the side of caution. I wanted to warn you all because if you aren't subscribed to see the updates, you may miss them because the website likes to filter out the M rated stories and won't show them unless you specify. If you haven't already subscribed, it's really easy. All you have to do is click on follow/favorite!**

 **As always, thank you to all of the readers and a special thank you to all of the reviewers. You are my motivation to keep going!**

 **Wolf777 (thanks for all of your advice!), The Sorrowful Deity, Astrea Erushia, Apex Calibre, Okikun, Miss Taarna, and Warrick24. I love you all…thanks for sticking with me and faithfully reviewing!**

 **Speaking of…Don't forget to feed the review monster! Ochu is very hungry! ;p**

 **Have a wonderful night, or morning for my peeps on the other side of the world…I'm off to snuggle with a bottle of Nyquil as I seem to have caught a cold.**

 **Goodnight,**

 **Lady A**


	12. Chapter 11: She Needs You

**Disclaimer:**

 ***Nope, not me. I don't own any of it. It all belongs to Square-Enix.**

 ***Errors. You know me…I hate editing and this chapter got even less than usual, so please let me know if there's anything that needs to be corrected.  
**

Chapter 11 – She Needs You

"Ugh!" Cloud groaned as he slowly came back into consciousness. His senses were overloaded as a foul smell filled his nostrils and a cold sensation encased his body. He lay in confusion for a few moments listening to the distant sound of water dripping, while staring blankly up at the concrete ceiling that was swimming in and out of focus high above him. It took a few minutes to recall what exactly had happened before he realized that he was lying on his back below Don Corneo's mansion, and the foul smell was indeed coming from the raw sewage that was all around him. How long had he been lying here in the sewers? Minutes? Hours? Possibly longer? As his stiff limbs protested beneath him as he slowly sat up, he assumed the latter. Looking around, he noticed that both Aeris and Tifa also laid nearby. "Hey…you alright?" he asked as he slightly nudged each of them causing them to stir.

"Um..yeah," Aeris nodded as she slowly began to sit up and inspected her body for wounds. "I-I think so anyway."

"Man!" Tifa sighed in disgust as she sat up and tried to wipe away the sewage particles that seemed to cling to her skin. "This is terrible."

"Well at least the worst is over…" Aeris muttered as she stood up and surveyed the area. "No way to go but forward and it looks like this place stretches on for miles."

 _Miles?_ Cloud thought angrily. _I don't have time for this!_ He looked above to the trap door they had fallen through. Perhaps he could find a way to climb back up the way they had come down? No. The ceiling was just too high, and there was no way to climb back up. Aeris was right, the only way to get out of here was to travel through the sewers and look for an alternate exit, but that could take hours and that was precious time that he didn't have to spare. Lightning's safety as well as the people of Sector 7 were all in jeopardy, and he had unwillingly wasted enough time already. Who knows how long they had already been down here…

"Dammit" Cloud swore angrily, causing both Tifa and Aeris to jump.

"Cloud." Tifa asked as she looked at him with concern in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Do I look alright?" he snapped much harsher than intended, which caused her to flinch slightly at his sudden hostility. "Shinra's gonna crush Sector 7…and Lightning…she's…she's…" the words refused to escape his lips as he angrily turned away.

 _Lightning…This is all my fault! If I had just kept you closer none of this would have happened…._

"We're worried too," Tifa assured as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder from behind. "We'll get there in time. And, Lightning's tough. Nothing will happen to her. I'm sure she's okay."

"How can you be so sure?" Cloud demanded as he spun around to face her again. "Do you know about all of the things that go on in there? All of their secrets, and experiments? They torture people, Tifa!" Her crimson eyes seemed to widen in horror before quickly falling to her feet. "It's my fault, Tifa! She never wanted to go back to Sector 6 in the first place, and they were waiting for her…It was a trap."

"Cloud, it's not your fault!" Tifa stated firmly as her crimson eyes shot up and locked onto his. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine! If I hadn't gone in there, none of you would have come in after me, and we'd all probably all be back home in Sector 7 right now and we'd…"

"If you hadn't gone in…" Aeris interrupted. "You'd all be in Sector 7 waiting to be crushed to death. It's no one's fault, Tifa. If you hadn't gone in, we wouldn't know the information we know now, and you can't blame yourself either, Cloud. Lightning made her own decision. She always had the option of running away, but she didn't…she stayed. So both of you need to stop wasting time by blaming yourselves for things that are out of your control and focus on getting out of here so we can stop that pillar from collapsing, and then we can go get Lightning!"

"You're right," Tifa concurred. "We can't solve anything by just standing here all day. Let's get moving." She added before turning to take the lead through the sewers with Aeris trailing behind. Sighing heavily, Cloud closed his eyes. Mentally, he felt as if he were being pulled in separate directions. Part of him wanted to drop everything to go after Lightning, while the other and more reasonable part knew that he couldn't turn his back on an entire town of people. Either way, he knew that someone was going to be hurt; He could feel it in his soul. He hated to think that thousands of people would have to die for the Shinra to feel like they got their revenge, but he also hated the fact that Lightning was already in their hands and they were doing god knows what to her in there. Deep down, he knew that Aeris was right. Nothing could be solved by just standing here and wishing the problem away, and he needed to move if he had hopes of saving anyone. Cloud's eyes shot open at this realization and he began to hurry through the tunnels after his two comrades.

 _Lightning…I'm coming, I promise._

* * *

The image of an overhead light slowly came into focus as Lightning's senses gradually returned. Confusion was the only thing she could properly register as she tried to take in her surroundings. The bright light above burned into her sensitive eyes and clouded her vision of the rest of the room, but she could faintly make out the sound of a heart rate monitor beeping somewhere in the background and the hum of other electrical devices nearby. Her head pounded furiously as she attempted to sit up, but she quickly discovered that she was immobile. Her limbs that seemed to have quadrupled in weight were now bound in place to the cold hard surface beneath her, and as she weakly struggled against the restraints, the heart rate monitor betrayed her and began to beep rapidly.

"Easy now, dear." a deep voice called out from somewhere nearby. Lightning raised her head slightly and struggled to see through her clouded vision to steal an image of her captor, but the weakness that seemed to have consumed her body caused her to slump back painfully onto the table. "I'm impressed." the voice praised. "You're handling this much better than I could have possibly expected. My, my, you are special, aren't you?"

"Wha..?" Lightning tried to respond, but the word seemed to stick in her dry throat.

"It's okay, my dear. It'll all be over soon." the man said in much closer proximity this time. Through the light, she could make out the shadow of a man slowly approaching her, and suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her arm followed by an intense pain in the crook of her elbow that seemed to quickly radiate to the rest of her body, causing her to spasm uncontrollably. "Hmm…well, that can sometimes happen…" the man chuckled beside her before quickly gripping her arm again and delivering another painful sting to the same spot. "Get some sleep, my dear." The man cooed with false concern, "We've got a long day ahead of us." Lightning's eyelids began to flutter heavily as her senses began to forsake her once again, and the blinding light above quickly faded into darkness.

* * *

The trip through the sewers literally took all day as the trio navigated through each identical tunnel trying to find their way to the surface. After what felt like an eternity, they finally emerged in the train graveyard on the outskirts of Sector 7. Cloud inhaled deeply and filled his lungs with air. There was nothing fresh about the air of Midgar, but the polluted air in the slums was a welcomed relief after spending an entire day breathing in the foul air of the sewers. The eerie quietness of the graveyard was another welcomed relief; it looked as if Shinra had not struck yet.

"It looks like we still have time," Tifa sighed in relief. "Once we get out of here, we can evacuate the slums."

"Yeah," Cloud agreed. "We need to move fast, Tifa! Aeris…"

"Please don't tell me to go home!" she interrupted. "I want to help too. We need to get everyone out of here and then we're going to rescue Lightning. You're gonna need all the help you can get, so please…don't tell me to go home, because I'm not leaving." she told him as she crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Okay," Cloud sighed in defeat. Deep down, he knew she was right. The more people that could help with the evacuation, the more lives would be spared if the pillar were to collapse. And then came the challenge of infiltrating the Shinra building. While it wasn't ideal for Aeris to tag along into a hostile territory when their enemy was actively searching for her, her natural ability with materia would come in handy if or when it came to a fight. He hated the thought of willingly putting her in danger, but the benefits of taking her seemed to outweigh the risks this time. "Let's go!" he nodded to the flower girl as he turned and began walking through the graveyard.

"Do you hear that?" Tifa asked quietly as they continued to make their way past the rusty disabled trains toward the main station. "What's that sound?" Cloud strained his ears in search of the sound that Tifa had referenced, and sure enough in the distance he heard it. At first it was barely audible, but as they got closer to the station, the sound began to amplify.

"Gunshots!" Cloud suddenly realized.

"Gunshots!?" Tifa gasped in horror.

"Its beginning!" he yelled as he took off at a sprint toward the slums. "We've gotta hurry!"

As they approached the tower leading to the pillar support device, their eyes widened in shock at the realization that a battle was already taking place above. The Shinra were already here and trying to bring down the plate, and someone, presumably the members of AVALANCHE, were fighting them above. As Cloud eyes scanned higher and higher, the normal smog seemed to thicken, but he could still make out the flashes of bullets being fired and the silhouettes of people fighting on the platform above.

"The pillar is still standing!" Tifa panted as she tried to regain her breath. "We've gotta get up there!" No sooner had the words escaped her lips, they were startled by a loud screech followed by a figure crashing onto the ground beside them.

"Wedge!" Cloud exclaimed as he ran over and knelt beside the injured man. "You alright!?" he asked as he inspected the man's wounds. He had been shot once in the shoulder and seemed to have broken several bones from the fall, but there appeared to be no fatal wounds.

"…Cloud." Wedge whimpered through the pain. "…You…remembered…my…name." he added as he gave a weak smile. "Barret's…up top…help him…" he choked. "….an' Cloud…Sorry…I wasn't any…help." he apologized before passing out cold.

"I'm going up!" Cloud stated boldly as he got to his feet and began to walk toward the tower. "Aeris, stay here and keep an eye on Wedge!"

"Wait!" Tifa called after him before turning to face the flower girl. "Aeris…do me a favor. I have a bar called 7th Heaven in this neighborhood. There's a little girl named Marlene there…."

"Don't worry!" Aeris assured her. "I'll put her somewhere safe."

"Thanks." Tifa smiled before turning to address all of the bystanders. "It's dangerous here!" she shouted above the gunfire. "Everyone get away from the pillar, quickly! Get out of Sector 7!" she added before hurrying to catch up with the blonde that had already begun ascending the winding staircase toward the pillar.

"Cloud…" a weak voice called out about a quarter of the way up. Cloud looked through the smoke to see the shadowy form of Biggs slumped against the side of the railing, holding what appeared to be a gunshot wound on his abdomen. "…so you don't care…what happens…to the…planet?"

"You're wounded," Cloud observed as he knelt beside the man.

"…don't worry…'bout me…Barret's…fighting up there. Go help him…." he coughed painfully. Cloud placed a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder and nodded before getting back up and sprinting up the stairs. As he neared the top, he spot a lone figure lying on the ground in a large puddle of blood, and as he inched closer, his stomach twisted painfully when he realized who it was.

"Jessie!" he called out as he dropped to the ground and began to inspect her wounds. The tiny brunette had taken multiple gunshot wounds to her chest and abdomen, but for some reason, her shallow breathing gave him hope.

"….Cloud…." she said weakly as she opened her eyes to look up at him. "…I'm glad….I could talk with you…one last time…." she choked before coughing violently and splattering his already soiled uniform with blood.

"Shhh…" Cloud said gently. "Don't say 'last'…."

"…That's….all….right…." she continued as her eyes began to water and the tears spilled down her face onto the blood soaked landing. "…because of our actions…many…people died….this probably….is our punishment…." Cloud's heart sank at her words. Did she really believe that what they had done had been wrong? Did she really feel like she deserved this…to die this way? He wanted to comfort her, to tell her she was mistaken, but for some reason the words got lost along the way to the surface. Lightning would have known what to say to comfort her, but honestly he was thankful for once that she was not here. Seeing this would kill her.

"Cloud…" Jessie whispered faintly as she used the last bit of her strength to reach out and place a cold object in his hand. "She needs you…take care of her….take….care….of….Lightning." she said with her final breath as her brown eyes closed forever. Jessie's hand fell to the ground with her dying breath and Cloud looked upon the object she had placed in his hands. His cerulean eyes began to water when he realized that it was the knife that Lightning had given her when they had last parted. It had been given as a token to keep her friend safe, but now Jessie was dead.

"Cloud…" Tifa sniffed and he looked up to see her crimson eyes overflowing with tears. "We have to go help Barret…we have to…"

"I know…" he nodded before leaning over the deceased woman on the ground to whisper in her ear, "I'll keep her safe. I promise." Cloud rose to his feet and began to rush up the stairs once.

 _Someone's going to pay dearly for this…_

"Tifa! Cloud! You came!" Barret shouted as they emerged on the platform. Barret appeared to be the last man standing as he continued to fire relentlessly at the helicopter that was circling the pillar. "Be careful! They're attacking from the helicopter." He warned just as the chopper unleashed its own round of bullets forcing the three of them to dive out of the way. As they regained their balance, a figure jumped from the cockpit and landed in front of the pillar's control panel and began typing furiously.

"Reno!" Cloud shouted as he rushed forward to stop the Turk.

"You're too late," the red haired Turk laughed evilly. "Once I push this button, that's all folks, mission accomplished!"

"We have to disarm it!" Tifa cried. "Cloud! Barret! Please!"

"I can't have you do that," The Turk sneered. "No one gets in the way of Reno and the Turks…by the way, I've been meaning to ask, are you missing your friend yet?"

"Where is she?" Cloud demanded as he pulled his sword from his back and stepped forward challengingly. "I swear if you've hurt her…"

"You'll do what, exactly?" Reno asked as he pulled an electric rod from his pocket and extended it. "That one is pretty special, isn't she?" he taunted as he stepped forward to accept Cloud's challenge. "Oh, I bet she's having the time of her life right about now!" he chuckled causing Cloud to shake with rage. "That one's got a lot of fight in her…"

Cloud had heard enough. A fierce snarl escaped his lips as he raced forward to slash wildly at the man in front of him. Their agility seemed to be evenly matched as Reno quickly evaded each of his strikes and countered with his electric baton. Reno jabbed his weapon at Cloud's head who quickly raised his sword to defend himself, and the weapons remained locked as the two struggled for dominance.

"Oh, I see…" Reno smirks as he suddenly electrifies his baton sending Cloud crashing to his knees twitching uncontrollably. "She means something to you, doesn't she?"

"Shut up!" Cloud spat as he regained control of his body and flung himself at his opponent once again with renewed strength, this time letting his emotions loose and bringing his buster sword up to deliver a perfect cross slash. Reno raised his own weapon and began to parry Cloud's attacks, but his opponent's newfound agility proved to be too much for him and he was thrown off balance by a deep gash delivered to his right shoulder. Staggering back against the railing of the platform, he clutched the bleeding wound with a look of surprise glued to his face.

"I suppose it's time…" Reno panted as the helicopter lowered behind him and waited for him to board. "Oh, and I'll make sure to tell your little friend hello when I see her." He taunted before leaping into the chopper.

"Cloud!" Tifa's panicked shriek came from behind. "I don't know how to stop this!"

"It's not a normal time bomb," Cloud observed as he joined her at the control panel.

"That's right." A voice called from the air. Cloud turned around to face the chopper expecting to see Reno's smug face again, but this time he was met by another Turk known as Tseng. "You'll have a hard time disarming that one." The man laughed wickedly. "It'll blow the second some stupid jerk touches it."

"Please, stop it!" Tifa pleaded as the tears began to stream down her face.

"Ha ha ha….Only a Shinra Executive can set up or disarm the Emergency Plate Release System," he informed them.

"Shut yer hole!" Barret roared as he began firing at the helicopter.

"I wouldn't try that…." Tseng taunted. "You just might make me injure our special guest." He added as he reached out and pulled Aeris forward by her hair.

"Aeris!" Tifa cried as she ran forward to the railing below the helicopter.

"Oh, you know each other?" Tseng asked casually. "How nice you should see each other one last time. You should thank me."

"What are you gonna do with Aeris!?" Cloud demanded.

"I haven't decided yet," Tseng replied as he scratched his head thoughtfully. "Maybe the same thing we did with your other little friend. Although…I'm not sure this one could live through all that." He laughed. "The orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time, but now I can finally report this to the president."

"Tifa! Don't worry! She's alright!" Aeris cried from the helicopter which earned her a painful slap to the face. "Hurry and get out!" Aeris cried again before she was pushed forcefully back inside the chopper.

"HAHAHA!" Tseng laughed. "Well, it should be starting right about now. Think you can escape in time?" he asked as an explosion above their heads rattled the platform violently. Tseng gave one last victorious smirk before retreating into the helicopter and zooming away just as another explosion occurred on the opposite side of the plate causing the pillar to begin collapsing under the stress.

"Yo!" Barret called as he hopped onto the side railing and picked up a large hook that was attached to a long thick wire. "We can use this wire to get out! Everybody grab hold!" he ordered as both Cloud and Tifa rushed over to grab hold of the wire. For a split second, Cloud felt weightless as the group kicked off the railing and freefell from the pillar. They began to swing toward the entrance to Sector 6 just as the pillar behind them finally collapsed causing the concrete plate above to plummet quickly toward the ground. The last sound they heard before landing painfully in Sector 6 were the panicked screams of thousands as the plate made contact with the ground crushing every man, woman, and child underneath.

* * *

She was dreaming again; the same dream she had been having for weeks now. She was fighting the same strange purple haired villain that she had so many times before. She swung her unfamiliar gunblade at the man only for him to predict her movement and dodge at the last minute, and then swipe his own oversized weapon in her direction. How many times had she been forced to relive this moment? To fight this same battle? The dream never changed. They were evenly matched, but she and her unknown foe continued to fight with no resolution. It was neverending.

"Pointless…" he smirked in his deep voice as the eye on his sword began to open sending shivers down her spine. As in the previous dreams, he continued to speak, but his words were muffled and she couldn't understand them. He thrust his sword at Lightning again forcing her to flip backwards to create distance between them. "…The future will fade!" he said as he pointed the tip of his blade at her and then brought his sword backward and held it close to his face horizontally.

"You'll have to kill me first!" she retorted as she charged at the man and leapt high. He jumped up to meet her and their swords collided midair, causing them to ricochet off one another and land far apart.

No sooner had she landed, Lightning quickly turned and went on the offense again, sprinting at the man. He didn't waste any time as he met her mid field with a jab toward her head which she barely evaded by hastily leaning aside. She countered by aiming her strike at his core, but only contacted the cold hard steel of his strange blade. He aimed once more for her head causing her to drop to one knee to aim low, but he anticipated her move as he quickly leapt high into the air. He landed on the ground and immediately sent a bolt of lightning in her direction, which she quickly deflected back with her shield causing an explosion to erupt around him. The battle should have ended with victory, but apparently this other version of herself thought otherwise. She felt herself charge forward once again and scream something that she couldn't quite make out. The man charged from the explosion unscathed and their swords crashed once more and the two were locked in a stalemate as they both pushed against one another. Lightning grit her teeth in frustration as she pushed against him with all of her strength, struggling for the upper hand. Suddenly, she had another idea: She quickly shoved away to create space, before bringing her weapon down with all of her might in hopes of sinking her blade into the man's skull.

Normally, her dream would end here and the fight would remain unresolved, but as Lightning's gunblade made contact with the man he suddenly vanished into a cloud of purple smoke. Time seemed to slow as Lightning fell through the smoke and attempted to regain her balance. As she emerged on the other side of the cloud, she gasped when she was met by the image of her sister who stood inches from her still extended blade with a vacant expression on her face.

"What the…?" she asked in confusion as a weird symbol appeared in her sister's eyes. "SERAH!" Blinding white light momentarily filled Lightning's vision before she was presented with an image of her sister standing in an unknown location talking with a brown haired man that she did not recognize. Suddenly her sister went quiet as her expression imitated the same vacantness as before and the symbol reappeared in her eyes.

"Serah?" she heard the man shout as he gripped her shoulders tightly. "Serah, snap out of it! NO!" the man shouted as he shook her violently. Suddenly her sister began to fall backwards and the man quickly grasped her hands to pull her forward into an embrace. Serah's eyes closed as her knees gave way beneath her and the two sank to the ground. "SERAHHH!" the man cried as Lightning's eyes were flooded with light once again.

"It can't be…" Lightning muttered as she opened her eyes to look at the transparent image of her sister who was now kneeling on the ground in front of her. "Serah…" she said in disbelief as she stumbled toward her sister.

"Hmph," a deep voice sounded from behind causing her to spin around in surprise. No sooner had she turned to face her purple haired foe, his sword collided painfully with her skull.

"AGHHHHHHH!" She screamed in agony as the dream world vanished from around her and her eyes shot open to her painful reality. Lightning lay in confusion as she stared up at the same blinding light as before. The dream had always felt vivid, but this time it had felt real. She had watched her sister die before her very eyes, and she could still feel the crushing blow in her skull left by the giant sword. The tears spilled freely from her eyes and she was unable to determine which hurt worse: the images that were still burned into her mind, or the unbearable pain that radiated from her head into the rest of her body.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" the same man from before asked quietly from somewhere nearby. Lightning's eyes darted around in search of her captor, but she still could not see through her clouded vision. She felt the same strong grip on her arm once again before the unmistakable sting of a needle plunged into the sore, bruised crook of her elbow.

"What…are you…doing…to…me?" Lightning managed to weakly choke out just as the pain from her elbow began to pulsate throughout her body once again causing her to cry out in agony.

"What am I doing?" the man laughed wickedly. "Why, I'm improving you, my dear." he said cryptically as he injected something else into her arm causing her muscles to involuntarily spasm once more as the substance spread through her bloodstream. "You talk in your sleep, did you know that?" the man casually asked. "I'm rather curious to know who this 'Serah' is."

"Go…to…hell…" she whispered defiantly as she tried to control her twitching muscles that seemed to be fighting a losing battle against whatever he had just injected her with.

"Oh, don't worry, my dear." The man chuckled. "I'm sure you'll tell me later. Why don't you get some rest? Trust me, you don't want to be awake for the next part. Your screams wouldn't bother me, but I doubt the rest of the building would want to hear them…You're in for a rough night, my dear, but luckily for you, we're taking tomorrow off. I wouldn't want to kill my new favorite subject, now would I?" With his last words, he jabbed another needle into her skin, which immediately turned her world black.

* * *

"MARLENE!" Barret screamed as he ran towards the collapsed entrance to what used to be Sector 7. "MARLENE! MAR-LE-NE!" he cried as he tried to no avail to shift the rubble blocking his path. "Biggs!...Wedge!...Jessie!...ARGHHHHHHHH!" he screamed in anguish as he began to fire at the wreckage.

"Hey, Barret." Cloud began as he cautiously approached the man.

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed again as he continued to unleash bullets at the rubble.

"Hey!" Cloud began again, only to be cut off by Tifa.

"Barret…" she said carefully as she slowly approached from behind and placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. "…Please stop."

"URGHHHHHHH!" he howled as the tears streamed down his face. "Goddamn…" he swore as he sank to his knees in defeat. "Marlene…"

"Barret?" Tifa said softly. "Marlene is….I think Marlene is safe."

"…Huh?" Barret asked in confusion as he wiped the tears from his face.

"Right before they took Aeris, she said, 'Don't worry, she's alright.' She was probably talking about Marlene." Tifa informed him.

"Rrr, really!?" he blubbered, still fighting the tears. "But…Biggs…Wedge…Jessie…"

"All three of them were in the pillar," Cloud said before remembering his painful encounter with Jessie. "Jessie…she died at the top."

"All of us fought together…." Barret reminisced. "I don't want to think of them as dead."

"Or the other people of in Sector 7…" Tifa added as she continued to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"This is all screwed up!" Barret sighed. "They destroyed an entire village just to get to us. They killed so many people…."

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Tifa asked with a shocked expression. "Because AVALANCHE was here?"

"No, Tifa!" he denied. "That ain't it! Hell no! It ain't us! It's the damn Shinra! It's never been nobody but the Shinra! They're evil and destroyin' our planet just to….build their power and line their own pockets with gold! If we don't get rid of them, they're gonna kill the planet! Our fight ain't ever gonna be over until we get rid of them!"

"…I don't know." Tifa said with uncertainty.

"What don't you know!?" Barret demanded. "You don't believe me?"

"It's not that…" Tifa replied. "I'm not sure about…me. My feelings."

"An' what about you?" Barret turned to Cloud, whose mind had involuntarily shifted to thoughts of Lightning and Aeris. He had been powerless to protect them, and now they were in the hands of the enemy. He sighed heavily as he recalled the words spoken by Reno and Tseng in the pillar. Lightning…what were they doing to her in there? Was she okay…was she hurt…was she dead? After the confrontation with the Turks, Cloud had begun to fear the worst for his pink haired friend, and now this fear was beginning to rip him apart.

 _I can't take this anymore…_

"…." Cloud uncrossed his arms and began to walk away.

 _It's time to fix this…I'm going to find her…but first, I need to tell Aeris' mom what happened._

"YO!" Barret called after him as he watched the blonde disappear further into Sector 6. "Where's he think he's goin'?"

"Lightning and Aeris!" Tifa realized as she stared worriedly after her closest friend.

"Oh yeah…" Barret scratched his head. "What's up with him and Lightnin' anyway? What was that asshole on about back in the pillar? And that other girl. What's up with her?"

"….I really don't know…." Tifa admitted as she looked down and began fumbling with her fingers. "…Lightning got caught because of me at Don Corneo's, and Aeris is the one I left Marlene with."

"Damn! Marlene!" Barret realized. "Tifa. There ain't no turnin' back now! We've gotta keep movin'." he said before turning to hurry after the blonde leaving Tifa to stare after him. She stood in silent contemplation for a few moments before finally giving in and chasing after her two comrades.

* * *

"Cloud…wasn't it?" Elmyra asked as soon as he walked through the front door. "It's about Aeris isn't it?"

"Sorry…" Cloud replied as he stepped forward and bowed his head apologetically. "The Shinra have her."

"I know…." she sighed as she took a seat at the table. "…they took her from here."

"They were here!?" Cloud asked in shock.

"That's what Aeris wanted…" she said sadly. "…and I couldn't stop her.

"Why is Shinra after her?" Cloud inquired. Surely, if she could shed some light on the situation, they could better understand not only why Shinra wanted her, but also where to look and what to expect once they got to headquarters.

"Aeris is an ancient." Elmyra began. "The sole survivor…"

"What did you say? But, aren't you her mother?" Barret cut in with a look of surprise that mirrored Clouds. If Elmyra wasn't Aeris' mother, then who was?

"Not her real mother." Elmyra explained. "It must have been fifteen years ago…" She went on to explain how her husband had fought on the front lines of the war in Wutai and she had gotten notice that he was being sent home. She had gone to the train station everyday awaiting his arrival that never came. One day, she encountered a dying woman with a small child on her way to the station, and the woman had begged her to protect the child she called 'Aeris'. Elmyra's husband never returned from Wutai and so she decided to raise the child as her own. "I knew she was special from the very beginning," she continued. "We became very close quickly. That child loved to talk. She used to talk to me about everything. She told me how she escaped from some kind of research laboratory, and that her mother had already returned to the planet, so she wasn't lonely…and many other things."

"Returned to the planet?" Barret asked with a perplexed look on his face.

"I didn't know what she meant," Elmyra shook her head. "I asked if she meant a star in the sky, but she said it was this planet…she was a mysterious child in many ways." She added before telling them the story of how Aeris had accurately predicted the death of her husband, and then how one day out of the blue, the Turks randomly showed up at her door to collect the child, informing her that Aeris was an Ancient that would lead humanity to the 'Promised Land', a land of supreme happiness. "Even though she denied it," Elmyra continued, "I knew about her mysterious powers. She tried so hard to hide it, so I acted as though I never noticed."

 _Returned to the Planet…Ancients…The Promised Land…?_ Cloud wondered where he had heard those words before and then it hit him. _It was five years ago_ … _Sephiroth. Could Sephiroth and Aeris be connected?_

"It's amazing how she's avoided the Shinra for all of these years…" Cloud sighed as the story sank in.

"The Shinra need her, so I guess they wouldn't harm her." Elmyra added hopefully. "She brought a little girl with her…Tseng found them on their way here. She probably wasn't fast enough to get away. She decided to go with the Shinra in exchange for the little girl's safety."

"…Marlene." Cloud realized as he shot a quick glance to Barret, whose mouth fell open.

"Marlene!" he gasped. "Aeris was caught because of Marlene!?" The dark skinned man walked across the room and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "Marlene is my daughter. I'm really sorry…."

"You're her father!?" Elmyra's face suddenly lit up with anger. "How in the world could you ever leave a child alone like that!?" she scolded the man as if he were a child himself.

"…Please don't start with that." Barret begged. "I'm always thinkin' about what might happen to Marlene, if I…" he suddenly trailed off unable to finish that particular thought. "You've gotta understand," he began again. "….I don't got any answers. I wanna be with Marlene…but I gotta fight…'cause if I don't…the planet's gonna die, so I'm gonna keep fightin'! But inside I'm always thinkin' of her. I jus' wanna be with her…always. See? I'm goin' in circles now…"

"I think I know what you mean," Elmyra replied as her expression softened. "She's upstairs asleep. Why don't you go and see her?" Barret nodded before setting off up the stairs.

"It's all my fault…" Tifa sighed in self loathe. "I was the one that got Aeris involved in all of this…and Lightning…"

"Don't say that!" Elmyra corrected. "Aeris doesn't think so. Was 'Lightning' that pink haired young lady that was here before?" Cloud opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of Barret thundering down the steps.

"Cloud!" he called. "You're going to help Aeris and Lightnin' right? If the Shinra's involved, I ain't stayin' here! I'm comin'!"

"I'm coming too," Tifa announced. "It's my fault that they are in this mess, so I'm going. Please don't tell me otherwise. I owe it to both of them."

"We're going right into Shinra Headquearters," Cloud informed them. "…You've gotta be prepared for the worst."

"I know…" Tifa responded. "But I have to….I feel like I need to push myself to the limit, and I won't feel okay until they are both safe. I'd go crazy if I stayed here…" It was easy to tell that Tifa was beating herself up over what had happened to Lightning and Aeris, and even if Cloud had tried to convince her otherwise, her mind would be set. There was no use arguing with her once her, so Cloud simply nodded.

"Sorry…but can you take care of Marlene a bit longer?" Barret turned to ask Elmyra.

"Yes, I don't mind," she agreed. "I can keep her as long as you need me to."

"This place is dangerous now," Barret warned. "You better go somewhere else."

"…You're right." Elmyra concurred. "…But promise me that you'll come back to her. Don't get yourself killed."

"How do we get into the Shinra building?" Tifa inquired, changing the subject.

"There ain't no train that goes up there anymore…" Barret muttered as he scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Why don't we go to Wall Market?" Tifa suggested. "We might be able to find something there. What do you think, Cloud?"

Cloud stood in silence replaying the events of the past few days in his head, beginning with that fateful moment when he and Lighting fell from the reactor into Aeris' church. Everything that had happened since seemed to be a chain reaction following that one moment: their trip to rescue Tifa from Don Corneo's mansion, Lightning's abduction, their day long trip through the sewers, the battle in Sector 7, the deaths of their comrades and the rest of the sector's population, and finally Aeris' capture by the Turks. Everything had spiraled out of control following the moment that the two of them fell through that roof, and if they hadn't fallen, none of this would have ever happened. Aeris was now in the Turk's hands, but he was pretty confident they wouldn't hurt her; she seemed to be much too valuable. But Lightning...he feared for her safety the most. For some unknown reason, she was an object of interest for the Shinra, and the Turks had made it seem like they were being anything but gentle with her. She had now been in their hands for over two days, and it shattered him internally to think she could be in pain.

 _Shinra will pay dearly if they've hurt her…._

"Cloud…?" Tifa placed a comforting hand on his shoulder which startled him from his thoughts. "What are you thinking?

"I'm thinking that once I find Lightning and Aeris, I'm gonna burn that damn place to the ground…and if anyone has hurt either of them, I will peel the flesh from their bones while they breathe." he responded with an iciness in his voice that chilled Tifa to the core.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter down! Lots of action and emotion this time ;) To be honest, this chapter has been done since Tuesday, but I've honestly been afraid to upload it. What did you think of it? Good…bad...horrible…go kill yourself, Lady A? To be honest, I'm expecting mixed emotions about my treatment of poor Miss Farron. What can I say though? I had fun picking on her. I know I switched back and forth between them a few times, but I really start missing her when she's gone. Plus, I really thought that the readers needed to see what she was going through on her end. Before anyone asks…yes, that is Hojo…and yes, he is messing with her. (Now, imagine me skipping along and singing "Cloud's gonna be pissed! Cloud's gonna be pissed!" LMAO!) I'm really no expert on the whole mako and Jenova thing, but I decided to skip the tank with her since Hojo is only going to have her for a few days and instead opted for rapid injections. I did a small amount of research on this, and discovered that in Crises Core (I think it was that one…I've only played it once. I know, shame on me. I loved the story, hated the battle system), it was actually a thing...at least I think it was. Either way, it is now lol. I then bounced the idea to my good friend 'The Sorrowful Deity' a few weeks back, who agreed that it was a good option for her. (Thanks again for your input, btw!)**

 **So…let's talk about another heavy topic: Jessie. How did that come out? Believable, or could it have been better? Sorry for those who were hoping that Lightning would be there when it happened. I decided that it would be better for story and character development to leave her out. Now Cloud has the difficult task of telling her and returning the knife to her. I seriously hope I didn't ruin anyone's day by killing her. In all fairness, I did warn you that it was still happening!**

 **Just out of curiosity…did my fight scenes come out okay? I don't know why, but I probably struggle with them way more than I should. I literally have zero experience writing them, so this is completely new territory for me. Hopefully I didn't screw them up. I tried really hard, I did. ;)**

 **Wolf has convinced me to leave my rating set to 'T' for the time being. He is the veteran at this, so I trust his judgement. (For those of you who didn't know or for those who don't follow it, he's updating 'The Great Mako War' again. Go and read it…now! It's so much better than my crappy story!) Please keep in mind that my rating may still change to 'M' if my themes start to press in to that area again. (That will depend on you all and what you wish to see happen between the two). I love the freedom of an 'M' rating, but it reduces the visibility of my story to those who aren't subscribed. Speaking of, if you haven't done so already, please subscribe! It's super easy…all you have to do it click a button and you'll never miss an update! :)**

 **Thanks to all of the readers, new and old! Thanks to everyone who has followed / favorited, and a special thanks to all of the reviewers for chapter 10: The Sorrowful Deity & Wolf777 (I seriously don't know what I'd do without the two of you!) Monking II (Where have you been!? I've missed you…), Okikun (I hope you're taking Jessie's death alright. I know you were dreading this chapter…), Reaper2908 (Welcome to the party! I hope you'll stick around!), Astrea Erushia (I see how it is! Nah, I don't blame you. I'd choose Wolf's story over mine too lol), and Miss Taarna (Thanks for thinking of us. Either way we were screwed. I'm sure you've seen by now that millions of people have been out in the streets in several of our major cities rioting the outcome and chanting "Not Our President" There was one in my city tonight. It's scary…)**

 **Guys…I'm having some serious confidence issues with this chapter, so please, take a moment to let me know how I did in the review section. Even if it's a simple "good job" or "you suck", I really need to know. Thanks, and I love you all.**

 **Lady A**


	13. Chapter 12: The Rescue, Part 1

**A/N:**

 ***A big shout out to my buddy, Wolf777! Happy Birthday! :) Hope you had a wonderful day of relaxing and telling people to "piss off"! XD**

 ***I don't own anything other than my imagination. Everything else belongs to Square-Enix.**

 ***Be forgiving of the errors. There are probably way more than usual. We have a new record on the word count, btw.**

* * *

Chapter 12 – The Rescue, Part 1

"Are you sure this the only way?" Tifa asked as her eyes nervously traveled up the enormous wall that towered above her.

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. "Or at least that's what the weapon's shop owner seems to think. It seems doable." Cloud had to admit that scaling a wall wasn't his ideal method of reaching the upper plate either, but since there were no trains that ran up there anymore this seemed to be their only viable option.

"Speak for yourself!" Barret objected as he held out his gun grafted arm. "You tellin' me I gotta climb up this big ass wall one handed?"

"Do you see another way?" Cloud countered as he approached the wire and began climbing. "We need to get to Lightning and Aeris, and we don't have time to look for another way. You can stay, if you'd like."

"Look," Tifa began gently as she approached the dark skinned man and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I don't like it either, but Cloud's right. If we want to save Lightning and Aeris, this is what we've gotta do to get up there. If it makes you feel any better, I'll go first…and if you have any trouble, Cloud and I can help pull you up." Barret stood for a few moments in silent contemplation before finally giving in.

"Awright…" he sighed in defeat. "…I s'pose you're right. If this is the only way to get to Pinky and Aeris, count me in…but damn, that's one steep climb…" he added as his eyes followed the blonde who was climbing at lightning speed up the side of the wall.

"Are you two coming, or not?" Cloud shouted as he reached the top and looked down on his two comrades on the ground, who from here, could almost pass as ants. He knew that his words had failed to reach his friends since they were so far below him, but he couldn't help it; he was growing impatient. Cloud raised from his squatting position and turned around on the wall to face the remains of what used to be Sector 7. Any hope they had held onto of anyone surviving the catastrophe was quickly squashed as he surveyed the wreckage. The disaster before him was a lot to take in; he just hoped that Tifa and Barret wouldn't lose it completely when they saw it. While he had no particular attachment to the district, or anyone in it for that matter, he knew that it meant something to his two comrades. To them, Sector 7 was their home, and the members of AVALANCHE were their family…and speaking of family, Cloud pulled Lightning's survival knife from his pocket and began to flick the blade open and closed. How was he going to break the news to Lightning about Jessie's death? The two of them had been close; almost sisterly, and now Jessie was dead…murdered by the Shinra. This would no doubt break Lightning's heart, and he hated the fact that the heavy burden of delivering the devastating news fell on his shoulders. It didn't feel right letting anyone else do it though. Jessie's last words had been to him, and he owed it to her to tell Lightning.

"Aww man," Barret sighed as he and Tifa emerged behind Cloud. The two of them were out of breath and sweating from their climb, but any exhaustion seemed to have disappeared at the sight laid out before them. "I knew it was gonna be bad…but I didn't expect this."

"So many innocent lives…" Tifa muttered sadly as her eyes began to water. "…all lost because of us."

"NO!" Barret snapped as he angrily rounded on her. "What'd I tell you? It's the damn Shinra that did this! It's always the Shinra…thinkin' they're god, and all. They're destroyin' the planet, Tifa! Everybody knows what they doin' is wrong. If we hadn't stepped up, someone else would've."

"I guess you're right…" Tifa conceded. "…But it still doesn't change anything." she added as her the tears spilled from her eyes. "Thousands of innocent people died just so Shinra could get back at us, and they didn't even kill us...they let us get away! They killed an entire town just because they could. How am I supposed to feel knowing that so many were murdered because of my actions? How can I possibly ever make this right?"

"You keep moving forward." Cloud interjected. "What's done is done. There is no use worrying about things you can't change…all you can do is move forward, and if you stop now, it will have all been for nothing." It was clear that Tifa was harboring so much guilt about everything that had happened in the past few days, and he hated seeing his closest friend suffering. "Tifa…" he began again as he approached her and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. Her crimson eyes hesitantly traveled up to meet his and it troubled him to see how much pain that was being reflected behind them. "Tifa, you can't blame yourself for everything that's happened. You didn't act alone; we were all part of this, so share the burden with us." Tifa looked absolutely shocked that those words had just come out of his mouth, but they seemed to have hit home with her. She stood in silence for long moment as she turned his words over and over in her mind before finally speaking.

"I-I guess you're right," she nodded as she wiped the tears from her face. "This won't be for nothing. All of these lives matter, and the Shinra will pay for what they have done here." she stated with renewed confidence. "Thanks, Cloud."

"Damn, Spiky!" Barret slapped him playfully on the back. "You give a pretty solid pep talk. I didn't know you had it in ya!"

"I just told her the truth." Cloud stated firmly as he let go of Tifa's shoulders and turned away agitated.

"Okay, okay…" Barret laughed. "I'm jus' givin' ya a hard time. What's our plan from here anyway?"

"It looks like we'll have to pass directly over the sector," Cloud observed as his eyes surveyed the maze of obstacles that would lead them to the surface. "Are you sure you two are up for this? I could go alone."

"Hell naw!" Barret responded. "I ain't gonna let your spiky ass go in there an' take all the glory! Besides, Aeris only got caught 'cause she was tryin' to save my little girl, and Pinky's part of AVALANCHE…I have'ta go."

"Same here," Tifa answered sincerely. "They're part of our family now, and I wouldn't feel right waiting on the sidelines."

Cloud wanted to beam from ear to ear at their joint resolve, but instead, he simply nodded. While he didn't mind to go it alone, he was happy to know that he could count on the two of them to have his back. There was no denying that the mission would be hard, but it made him feel better to know that Barret and Tifa seemed to care just as much about finding Lightning and Aeris as he did. He could understand why Barret felt an obligation to Aeris, or even why he felt responsible for Lightning since she was a member of his group, but Tifa's guilt was what he sympathized with the most. He hadn't only been trying to make her feel better when he told her that the burden was shared; it was true, he felt it too. The guilt over both Lightning and Aeris' abductions was eating him alive, and quite honestly, the only thing that was keeping him going was the small sliver of hope that they'd get them out safely. As he reflected to those words he spoke to Tifa, he couldn't help but wonder if they had really been meant for her or for himself.

* * *

"Damn…." Barret marveled as the three of them stood beneath the massive building that was home to Shinra Headquarters. "You oughta know this building well," he assumed as he lowered his gaze to stare at the side of Cloud's head.

"…Not really," Cloud answered honestly, refusing to meet the man's gaze. "…now that I think about it, this is the first time I've ever been to the Headquarters."

 _'How is that even possible?'_ he thought as he continued to stare at the building for the first time. _'Surely I would have come here for something?'_ The thought seemed to frustrate him to no end, and as hard as he racked his brain for the answer, he still came up short.

"I heard about this place before…" Barret continued seemingly unbothered by his statement. Cloud let out a mental sigh of relief that Barret didn't find his admission to be strange; the last thing he wanted was to answer a full scale assault of questions over how he had been a first class member of SOLDIER, but had never been to Shinra Headquarters. Quite frankly, he didn't know the answer himself, but he definitely didn't feel like explaining that to Barret. "Every floor above the 60th is special and not easy to get to even for employees…" Barret pressed on. "That must be where they took Lightnin' and Aeris. Security's pretty light right now, let's go!" he commanded as he took off toward the front door.

"Wait a second!" Tifa called after him causing him to stop in his tracks and spin around to face her with a stupid expression plastered to his face. "You're not thinking of just going right though the main entrance, are you?"

"Well what else does it look like!?" Barret questioned impatiently. "I'm gonna kick some Shinra butt and…"

"That's not going to work!" Tifa interrupted sternly. "We've got to find another way…"

"Ain't gonna be no other way!" Barret countered defensively. "If we keep wastin' time like this, Pinky and Aeris'll…"

"I know that!" she huffed in annoyance. "But if we get caught here…" she trailed off before turning to Cloud for support. "Cloud, what do you think we should do?"

"Well…" Cloud began as he thought it over. As much as he wanted to bust through the front doors and take out every single person in that damn place, he knew that wouldn't be a very good idea. If they barged through the front doors, it would alert every Shinra soldier on property to their presence, not to mention any SOLDIER operatives or Turks that were on site. Handling a bunch of Shinra grunts was one thing, but dealing with SOLDIER or the Turks was another thing entirely, and that was a task they would not be up for. Plus, if they stormed the place they could be putting Lightning and Aeris in even more danger, and that was a risk that he flat out refused to take. "I think we should look for another way in."

"See?" Tifa said as she rewarded him with a grateful smile. "Let's be careful and find a different route!" she added as she darted off around the side of the building in search of an alternate entrance. "Hmm…this looks promsing," she announced as she opened a door on the side of the building that lead to a set of stairs. "I wonder why there's no one guarding these?" she asked as the three of them filed in and began climbing.

It only took a few minutes for Cloud to understand why there had been no one guarding these stairs. They seemed to provide a straight shot up to the top of the building, with no exits to any of the other floors. It appeared to be designed as an exit only, and was probably meant as a fire escape or something similar. The Shinra probably assumed that no one in their right mind would ever attempt to climb them, no matter how badly they wanted into the building…and even if they did, the chances of the average person actually reaching the top were between slim and none. The three of them had been climbing for just over twenty minutes now, and so far this theory seemed valid: Barret and Tifa seemed to be struggling to keep going, and even with his superior strength and stamina, Cloud found it to be somewhat of a challenge…hell, at this rate, the three of them would be completely worthless by the time they reached the top.

"Don't…know…why…the hell…we gotta…climb…" Barret managed to complain between ragged breaths.

"….because we don't want to start a commotion until we've saved Lightning and Aeris…If that's even possible." Cloud responded.

"So even…you'll…fight…for someone…else." Barret continued, obviously trying to keep the conversation alive to redirect his attention from his aching legs and burning lungs. "Guess…I figured…you wrong."

"Who cares what you figured!" Cloud responded coldly as he sped up to pass the man.

"I'm…jus'…saying." Barret chuckled. "Mebbe…I was wrong…How much farther…do these steps go?"

"Why don't you ask them?" Tifa responded irritably from behind.

"Damn!" Barret huffed as he slowed down. "I've had it! I'm goin' back down!"

"It'll take just as long to go down as it did to come up!" Tifa reasoned as she began pushing him from behind. "Come on, Barret! Pull it together!"

"Yeah, well, all I know is I'm only flesh 'n' blood…'cept for this arm of mine, so don't be treatin' me like I'm some ex-SOLDIER or somethin'…" he panted as he shot Cloud a look of annoyance.

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' Cloud thought as he glared angrily at the man.

"What about me? I'm human too!" Tifa argued as she stopped pushing to give him a stern look. "Oh, do what you want, I'm going up!" she sighed in defeat as she shoved past him. Barret stared after her for a moment before finally giving in and continuing to climb.

"…finally…made it!" Barret wheezed as the group rounded their last turn to spot a door at with the number '59' illuminated above it. "Never…wanna see…no more stairs…the rest of my life…" he added as he fell backwards onto the steps to rest.

"…I'm beat…" Tifa agreed as she sank down next to him and attempted to steady her breath. "…but here we are, so we'd better get ready!"

While Cloud was anxious to keep moving, he figured that it'd probably be best to give the other two a short break. To occupy his time, he decided to scout ahead to get an idea of what they might be going up against. Cracking the door in front of him, he peeked into the lobby of the 59th floor and spied three armed Shinra grunts guarding the elevators. He knew that there'd probably be no way of getting around them without drawing attention, and even if they somehow managed to, they wouldn't get far without the keycard to the next level. They had no choice but to take them out and pray that one of them had what they needed or the trip would be wasted.

"Ready?" Tifa whispered from behind as she leaned around him to peek through the crack in the door.

"Yeah," Cloud responded. "…before we go in, make sure everyone's got materia equipped…oh, and try to avoid using that thing!" he added as he nodded to the gun on Barret's arm.

"You're startin' to sound jus' like Pinky now!" Barret chuckled softly while ignoring the glare that Cloud was now sending his way. "…I know, I know…don't wanna draw attention to us."

Cloud opened the door and stepped casually into the lobby with Barret and Tifa following closely behind him. The guards on the other side of the room seemed baffled by their sudden appearance and looked nervously between one another unsure of what to do next.

"H-Halt!" one of the guards called to them as he stepped forward to meet them in the middle of the lobby. It was clear that he was trying to determine if they were friend or foe. "D-Do you have identification?" he asked as he looked Cloud up and down taking note of his SOLDIER uniform.

"Nope." Cloud responded shortly before punching the man square on the nose and knocking him out cold. Surprised by the sudden hostility, the other two soldiers rushed forward with their weapons drawn, but were literally stopped in their tracks by Barret's ice spell.

"Damn," Cloud huffed in annoyance as he looked sternly at the dark skinned man. "We need a keycard to go any further. You better hope that one of the guys you just froze didn't have it." Cloud scolded as he knelt beside the unconscious man on the ground and began to pat him down, producing a potion as well as a small piece of plastic from one of his side pockets. His heart leapt when he turned the plastic card over in his hand and the number '60' was etched into the front. He stood up and pressed the button to call the elevator, and within seconds the door opened to reveal a magnificent view of the outside world. The three of them stepped inside and Cloud inserted the keycard into the control panel and the buttons for floors one through sixty illuminated, confirming their access level. Cloud pressed the number sixty and the elevator came to life.

"This is the real thing. Don't let your guard down." Barret warned as the elevator began to travel upward. The door opened on the 60th floor and the three stepped out into the lobby. The amount of security personnel was hard to miss on this level as they traveled from room to room. Cloud found this excess security to be odd considering that there seemed to be nothing of importance here. The three of them continued to cautiously sneak through the rooms to the stairs, while avoiding the many guards that were roaming throughout the floor.

As they emerged on the 61st floor, the first thing they noticed was the giant tree that served as the focal point of the room. The fresh air on this level was quite invigorating, and a nice change from the polluted air of Midgar that they normally inhaled. The entire floor appeared to be a cafeteria, and was populated by quite a few Shinra employees that were eating and talking at the many tables and benches that were positioned around the giant tree.

"Why is there a tree here?" Tifa inquired as they walked through the room while trying to look casual and avoiding the odd looks that people had begun to aim in their direction.

"Hell if I know!" Barret responded bitterly. "This is prolly the only plant in Midgar, so of course they hoggin' it for themselves."

"Excuse me," a man called from behind as he tapped Cloud sharply on the shoulder. The three of them spun around to face a dark haired man in a business suit that was eyeing them suspiciously. _'Great, we've been caught!'_ Cloud thought as he tried to keep his face as neutral as possible. "You all must be that…whatcha call it…" he paused and scratched his head thoughtfully. Cloud could feel both Barret and Tifa shift nervously beside him as the man's gaze continued to dance between them. "Oh, I know…Shinra, Inc. Repair Division!"

 _'Huh?'_ Cloud thought at the three of them exchanged uncertain looks.

"Uh…yeah," Cloud hesitantly nodded his head while trying to play it cool.

"You know, this building looks like it's starting to fall apart!" the man complained. "The door to this floor was just pushed in. You ought to fix it right away!" he ordered as he thrust a piece of plastic into Cloud's hand. "Oh yeah, and take a look on the other floors too!" he barked before turning to walk away. Cloud wanted to beat the man into pulp for talking to him the way he had, but all of his anger vanished when he looked down to inspect what the man had given him and realized that it was exactly what they had been looking for: keycard # 62.

As the trio swiped their keycard to the 62nd floor, the doors slid open to reveal a library. The level seemed rather boring, and Cloud would have preferred to skip it, but without the next keycard that wasn't a possiblity. As they navigated the hallways, they discovered that there were six different rooms on the floor that housed books, and a seventh room where the Domino, the mayor of Midgar, resided. After splitting up to search the library for a keycard to the next level and turning up empty handed, they didn't have a choice but to try the mayor's office. Who knows, maybe they could get lucky a second time?

"Excuse me," Cloud said as he walked through the doors, startling the bald man behind the desk. "We're from the Shinra, Inc…"

"I know who you are," the mayor replied bluntly as his suspicious gaze searched them up and down. "You all must be that….ahem…do you want to get upstairs?" he asked directly, catching them off guard. "I'll tell you what, if you can guess the password, I'll give you my key."

"Huh?" Cloud asked stupidly as he looked at the man in confusion. Was the mayor actually offering to help them knowing who they really were? Could this possibly be some sort of a trap?

"Yes, that's it…" the mayor nodded in confirmation. "Guess the password and I'll give you my keycard! I'm sure you're wondering why I would do something like this, am I right?" he asked, clearly taking note of their dumbfounded expressions. "Well, I'll tell you. It's revenge, of course! Shinra's been torturing me forever…you see, I'm only the mayor in title. My real job is watching over Shinra's documents…Me! The Mayor! A librarian!"

"Um…I think I know the password…" Tifa inserted from beside him and Cloud turned to give her a questioning look. "A few of the books in the library had certain letters underlined on their spines. Is the password 'BEST'?"

"DING DING DING!" Domino exclaimed happily as he rushed forward to drop his keycard in Tifa's hand. "God, I love the sound of that! BEST! I AM the best…ME! No matter what anyone else says, you'd better believe it…now go up there and really make them suffer!" he added as he pushed them out the door toward the elevator. "This ought to teach them!" Cloud heard him mutter as he went back in his office and closed the door behind them.

 _'Man, Shinra must've screwed him over big time if he's that eager to help us'_ Cloud laughed to himself as they boarded the elevator and inserted the keycard, which granted them access to the next two floors.

The 63rd floor seemed to be nothing but storage, which Cloud and Barret both wanted to skip, but Tifa insisted that it might be worthwhile to look around. In the end, they were not disappointed as they found a couple useable pieces of equipment and an invaluable 'all' materia, which Tifa kept as her reward for her suggestion to search the floor in the first place. The 64th floor only contained a fitness center, so the three agreed that they could skip this level. The next floor housed a giant model of the city in the center of the room. There seemed to be no one on this floor and Cloud was beginning to worry that they wouldn't find the keycard to the next level, until suddenly he saw one lying carelessly on the edge of the model. Sure enough, when he picked it up, the number '66' was etched into the front of it.

As they emerged on the 66th floor, they quickly realized that this was not a level they could parade around on. The floor was filled with offices and conference rooms, and many big wigs in suits and ties were freely roaming around. It seemed that anybody who was anybody was on this floor, which meant that they needed to err on the side of caution and try to remain undetected. Just as they were about to turn a corner, they spot President Shinra and a few of his high ranking executives entering the conference room.

"We need to get in there…" Barret whispered from the side.

"Yeah right," Tifa snorted. "What should we do, walk right in and take a seat?"

"I didn't say that…" Barret began but was suddenly cut off by the loud conversation of two men who walked right past them without even looking at them, which Cloud found to be extremely odd.

"Is it just me or the conference room smell?" one of them asked the other in a much louder voice than needed for the quiet hallway.

"Yeah," the second agreed. "There's some sort of stench coming from somewhere…"

Cloud watched the two men walk away and couldn't help but feel like they had noticed them after all and were trying to help them by giving them a clue. Taking their advice, the three of them crept quietly to the only place on the floor that they knew might smell badly, and that was the restrooms. Sure enough, as the three of them filed in to the men's restroom, they heard the faint sound of conversation coming from somewhere.

"I think the sound is coming from the ventilation system," Tifa guessed as she walked into one of the stalls and arched back to stare at the ceiling.

"You're probably right," Cloud agreed as he slid past her and climbed up onto the toilet to remove the vent cover, which revealed a hole just large enough for the three of them to climb into.

"Whoa, whoa!" Barret objected from behind. "There ain't no way I'm climbin' up there. You outta your damn mind, Spiky!"

"Weren't you the one who was saying that we needed to be in there?" Cloud shot back. "Unless you're some undercover Shinra employee that can get us in there, this is our only way!" Cloud added coldly as he reached up to grab the side of the ventilation duct and pulled himself up. He could hear Barret's huff of annoyance from behind before he finally gave in and climbed up as well.

"Geez…that's a lot of suits!" Barret quietly observed as they looked through the vent from above the conference room. As Cloud looked around, he realized that he actually recognized all of the people in the room. President Shinra sat at the head of the table, and to his left sat Scarlet, the head of Weapon's development. Beside her sat Reeve, who was in charge of Urban Development. Palmer, the head of the space program, sat across from Scarlet, and Heidegger, head of Public Safety, sat next to him.

"We have the estimates for Sector 7." Reeve stated as he began to flip carefully through his notes. "Considering those factors that we already sat up and all the investments, the damage is estimated at 10 billion gil…and the cost to rebuild Sector 7 is…" he continued as he flipped to the next page of his notes.

"We're not rebuilding." The president stated firmly.

"What!?" Reeve looked absolutely stunned as the notes fell from his hands onto the table.

"We're leaving Sector 7 as it is, and starting the Neo-Midgar plan," President Shinra clarified.

"…then the Ancients?"

"Yes, the promised land will soon be ours," the president confirmed. "I want you to raise the mako rates 15% in every area!" he commanded.

"Rate hike! Rate hike! Tra, la, la!" the man called Palmer sang. "And, please include our space program in the budget!"

"Reeve and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase," the president continued, ignoring the man beside him who slumped onto the table in defeat. Scarlet simply smiled victoriously at the fat little man, but Reeve continued to look at the president as if he had just grown a second head.

"Sir, if you raise the rates, the people will lose confidence…" Reeve tried to reason.

"It'll be alright…the ignorant citizens won't lose confidence, they'll trust Shinra, Inc. even more." the president chuckled, which cause Heidegger to burst out in laughter. "After all, we're the ones who saved Sector 7 from AVALANCHE!" The entire group began laughing at the president's statement, except for Reeve, who looked appalled by what he had just heard.

"That dirty bitch!" Barret whispered angrily causing both Cloud and Tifa to glare at him. The laughter had died down below, but luckily no one in the conference room had heard him because their attention had been redirected to another man that had just entered the room. Judging by his long white lab coat, Cloud could only assume that he was some sort of doctor or scientist. He had oily jet black hair that was pulled back into a pony-tail, and on his face he wore a pair of half-moon glasses that were supported by a crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken one too many times. Cloud did not know the man's name, but for some reason he looked vaguely familiar to him.

"Hojo," the president greeted. "How's the girl?"

 _'Girl?'_ Cloud wondered as he turned his full attention to the man called Hojo.

"As a specimen, she is inferior to her mother…" the man called Hojo reported. "I'm still in the process of comparing her to her mother, Iflana, but for now the difference is 18%."

"How long will the research take?"

"Probably 120 years," Hojo replied as he scratched his head thoughtfully. "It's probably impossible to finish in our lifetime, or in the lifetime of the specimen too, for that matter…that's why we're thinking of breeding her. Then we could create one that could withstand our research for a long time."

"What about the Promised Land?" the president demanded. "Won't it hinder our plans? What about the other girl?"

"Oh, she's very promising indeed. She's been very receptive to all of our tests and treatments." Hojo chuckled. "She's quite strong, that one."

"How much longer?"

"I'd say a few weeks more for maximum results."

"Hmm…" the president hummed in acknowledgement. "Well, I expect to see frequent reports." he added before turning to address the rest of the group. "This meeting is dismissed!" The president rose from his seat, followed by the others and all six of them filed through the door to resume their usual activities.

"They were talking about Lightning and Aeris, weren't they?" Cloud speculated as his eyes met the equally confused faces of Barret and Tifa.

"I dunno." Barret shrugged as he tried to process what he had just heard.

"Probably." Tifa responded. "But, which one was which? I don't think I understand."

"Me either," Cloud admitted. "Let's follow him!" he commanded as he hastily turned around and crawled back through the tunnel to the men's restroom and hopped down into the stall. Tifa and Barret joined him almost instantly, and then the three of them rushed through the hallways in search of the greasy haired scientist, not really caring anymore if they looked suspicious. This man had provided their first clue about Lightning and Aeris' whereabouts, and under no circumstances were they about to let him get away.

"So, that's Hojo..huh..?" Cloud muttered as they as they watched him ascend the stairs to the 67th floor.

"I've heard of him…that Hojo guy is in charge of Shinra's science department," Barret recalled. "…Cloud, don't you know him?"

"This is the first time I've actually ever seen him," Cloud admitted. For some reason that statement felt like a lie, but he honestly couldn't seem to place where he may have seen the man before. "So he's head of the science department? What does that have to do with Lightning and Aeris?"

"Beats me…" Barret shrugged before the three of them began to creep up the stairs after the man.

At the top of the stairs, they noticed that the door accessing the current level had been left unlocked. As they proceeded through to the other side into the long corridor, they spot several large labs where people in the same white coats were hunched over various experiments. For some reason, this floor gave Cloud a strange feeling. He couldn't quite figure it out, but he almost felt as if he were being drawn to something; as if something he was searching for was very close. As they rounded yet another corner in pursuit of the scientist, they suddenly noticed that he had abruptly stopped in front of a large container that housed a large, red furred, one eyed canine looking beast with a flaming tail. The creature was as equally scarred as he was tattooed, and several beads decorated the side of his mane. Before they could be noticed, Tifa quickly pulled them to take cover behind some nearby wooden crates.

"Is this today's specimen?" an assistant asked as he emerged from a nearby office and approached the scientist.

"Yes," Hojo confirmed. "We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level." The assistant gave a quick nod and retreated back into the office.

"My precious specimen…" Hojo muttered to the creature behind the glass before walking across the room and boarding the lift for the upper level.

Once the scientist was out of sight, the three of them emerged from their hiding place. Tifa immediately walked over to the container to have a better look at the beast. It was easy to tell that she was sympathetic toward the creature as she placed her hands gently on the glass and looked at the creature with sadness in her eyes.

"Precious specimen?" she thought aloud. "Is it going to be used for a biological experiment?"

Cloud began to walk toward her and opened his mouth to respond, but was suddenly hypnotized by a glowing purple light coming from the window of a door on a metal container on the right side of the room. As if in a trance, he walked over slowly and peered inside to view the headless monster confined within. "Jenova…" he muttered as a rush of painful memories suddenly invaded his mind, causing his knees to buckle and painfully hit the floor. His vision seemed to go white for a few moments and when it finally returned, he realized that he was on his hands and knees clutching his head in agony while Tifa knelt beside him trying her best to comfort him. "Jenova…Sephiroth's…So…they've brought it here..." He mumbled. He realized that he wasn't making any sense, not even to himself.

"Cloud, be strong!" Tifa encouraged as she began to rub his back comfortingly.

"Did you see it?" Cloud asked as he looked up to see the annoyed face of Barret, who stood leaning against the container with his arms crossed.

"See what?" he grumbled impatiently as he marched over to the door to peek inside.

"It's moving…still alive?" Cloud said to no one in particular as he tried to shake the image from his head.

"Where's its fuckin' head?" Barret asked in disgust as he quickly backed away. "This whole thing's stupid….Let's keep goin'." Cloud nodded and allowed Tifa to help him to his feet. The whole thing was embarrassing, but at least Tifa seemed to understand. In fact, she seemed to be almost as bothered by its presence here as he was.

As they squeezed into the cramped lift, Cloud looked at the control panel and sighed in relief when he saw that there were only two options: their current level and the level directly above. That would make following Hojo much easier, and he was positive that the man would eventually lead them to Lightning and Aeris. He pressed the button for the 68th floor and the lift began to hum with life before slowly raising them upward. As they came to a stop, he immediately spot the scientist standing outside of a large glass container in the center of the room. The man was observing something inside and as Cloud's eyes followed the man's gaze, he realized that what the man was observing was one of the two people he had come to rescue.

"Aeris!" he shouted as he flung the metal barrier aside and charged from the lift.

"Aeris?" the scientist questioned as he turned his head slightly to look at him with a perplexed expression. "Oh, is that her name? What do you want?"

"We're taking Aeris back!" Cloud informed him. "And Lightning. Where is she?"

"Outsiders…" Hojo muttered as he turned his attention back to Aeris, ignoring Cloud's question altogether. The man seemed to be pretending as if they weren't here at all as he continued to observe his subject and then raised his clipboard to take notes. At that moment, the realization hit him: To Hojo, Aeris really was nothing more than a science experiment. He didn't view her as a human at all. The same thought seemed to have passed through Barret's mind because he suddenly stepped forward with his gun arm trained on the man.

"There are so many frivolous things in this world," Hojo sighed as he looked up from his notes to face them again. "Are you going to kill me? I don't think you should. You see, the equipment here is extremely delicate. Without me, who could operate it? Hmm?" he asked as he lowered his glasses to give them a critical look.

"Ugh!" Cloud groaned realizing that he was right. If they killed the man, it would only make things harder. At the moment, Aeris was locked up inside a thick glass prison that he saw no way of breaking without hurting her, and Lightning was still imprisoned somewhere in the building. Killing the man wasn't an option; they needed him alive.

"That's right," Hojo sneered as if he could read Cloud's mind. "I recommend you think things out logically before you make any rash moves….Now bring in the specimen!" he called to his assistant.

At his command, the floor beneath Aeris began to separate. Startled by the sudden movement, she jumped to her feet and backed away toward the glass wall of the container as the lift emerged in the center carrying the fiery haired beast from below. The beast appeared to be confused at first, but sprang to life at the sight of her and raised his tail menacingly. Aeris looked at the creature in horror before racing to the front of the container to pound hysterically on the thick glass. "Cloud, help!" her muffled voice traveled through the prison walls.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cloud asked in shock as he wrapped his hand around the hilt of his buster sword.

"Lending a helping hand to an endangered species…" Hojo answered with genuine honesty as he continued to observe the beast's behavior while quickly writing notes on his pad of paper. "Both of them are on the brink of extinction...If I don't help, all these animals will disappear."

"…animal?" Tifa gasped. "That's terrible! Aeris is a human being."

"You're gonna pay!" Barret roared as he marched toward the scientist ready to pound him into the ground.

"Barret!" Tifa shouted stopping him in his tracks. "Can't you do something?" she cried as she pointed to the glass container where the red furred beast had begun to chase Aeris.

"Awright!" he called as he took aim at the thick glass, which caused Aeris to immediately drop to the ground with her hands clasped over her head. "Step back!"

"STOP!" Hojo screamed as Barret unleased several bullets into the glass. "Wh…what are you do…oh! My precious specimens…" Fortunately for Aeris, the container didn't shatter. Instead it filled with a blinding blue light before the door sealing it slid to the side. The fiery beast within wasted no time as he leapt through the opening and pounced on the mad scientist and delivered several painful looking bites to his arms and shoulders.

"Now's our chance to get Aeris!" Cloud called to the others as he ran inside the glass prison to help the flower girl who was still lying on the ground.

"Thanks, Cloud." she smiled warmly as she got to her feet and dusted off her dress. He ushered her from the glass prison but as he was exiting himself, he paused when he heard the faint sound of electrical humming coming from the center.

"Cloud…what's wrong?" Tifa called from outside.

"The elevator is moving…" he realized as he backed out of the container to stand next to the others.

"This is no ordinary specimen…" Hojo coughed from behind as he slowly got to his feet, nursing several wounds the dog like creature had left on his upper body. "This is a very ferocious specimen!"

"He's rather strong…I'll help you all out." the red haired beast spoke up from the side. Cloud turned to look at the creature in surprise. Was he hearing things, or had that dog just spoken to him?

"It talked!?" Tifa squeaked as she jumped back a few inches.

"I'll talk as much as you want later, Miss…" the beast smirked at her. "…but we need to deal with the monster first."

"Okay…we'll take care of that monster….Tifa, take Aeris somewhere safe!" Cloud commanded as he removed his sword from his back. Tifa nodded confidently before dragging the flower girl away to hide. "What's your name?" Cloud asked as he looked down at the creature beside him.

"Hojo has named me, Red XIII. A name with no meaning whatsoever to me. Call me as you wish," the beast called Red XIII informed him. The name Red XIII seemed to be a little much, but Cloud saw no issue with keeping the name so long as the beast didn't have a problem with it. There was no need to keep the XIII, but the name Red was actually suiting for the creature.

"Red it is!" Cloud announced as the lift finally appeared in the center of the container carrying with it a humanoid monster that appeared to have been constructed from the parts of several different monsters. A foul smell instantly filled the air as the monster stepped outside of the container leaving a trail of slime behind it. "It's probably poisonous." Cloud observed as his eyes followed the trail of green goo. "Don't let any of that slime get on you!"

"Awright!" Barret responded as he raised his gun and began firing at the specimen. His shots only seemed to anger the monster as it arched its head back and released a high pitched scream causing them all to cup their hands over their ears in pain. "Okay…mebbe not. Spiky…what do ya think?"

"We would probably do better with magical attacks," Red advised. "Since it appears to be poisonous, it would be wise to stick with long range attacks." To prove his point, he aimed a large ball of fire at the creature causing it to howl in pain from the obvious damage inflicted on it. Cloud looked at the animal in confusion. Where had he gotten that materia from? Had it been in his possession the entire time he had been in captivity? And, if so, why hadn't he used it to try and escape? "It's a long story…" Red sighed as he looked up to meet Cloud's stunned gaze.

Once the three of them switched to magic, they made quick work of the humanoid creature and it fell within minutes. Red and Barret roasted it with fire materias, which appeared to be its weakness, and Cloud sent bolts of lightning its way. The creature never had the opportunity to come near them as they intentionally kept their distance by sending wave after wave of magical attacks at it. Before finally dying, it gave one last howl of pain before dissolving into a large puddle of slime on the floor.

"Goddammit!" Barret swore angrily. "Where'd that greasy scumbag go?" Cloud spun on his heels in search of the scientist, but Barret was right, he was gone. He had probably summoned that monster to secure his escape, and they had fallen for it and let him go. Cloud cursed under his own breath at his own stupidity, and prayed that the man wouldn't be necessary to rescue Lightning.

"Cloud!" his own name ripped him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Aeris and Tifa running toward him.

"Aeris, are you alright?" he called as he returned his sword to his back and stepped forward to greet her.

"She seems alright…in many ways." Tifa stated, suggesting that no serious and irreversible harm had come to their friend.

"I have a right to choose too." Red spoke up. "I don't like two legged things."

"What are you?" Barret demanded as he locked his scrutinizing gaze on the beast.

"An informed question, but difficult to answer. I am what you see." Red replied. "…You must have many questions, but first, let's get out of here. I'll lead the way..."

"No," Cloud shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not leaving without Lightning."

"Lightning?" Red inquired.

"She's part of our group. The Shinra kidnapped her a few days ago, and we're pretty sure they brought her here. Have you seen her around? She's about my height, thin, pink hair, military uniform…she's kind of hard to miss."

"I'm afraid not…" Red admitted sadly. "…but I would be more than happy to assist you with finding her."

"I'd appreciate it…" Cloud nodded to the beast. "…but we can't all travel together…" he said to the others. "…ee need to split up into two groups. Red and I will stay behind to look for Lightning. Barret, I want you to take Aeris and Tifa, and get out of here."

"I'm staying," Tifa responded as she crossed her arms defiantly and rooted herself to the spot.

"Me too," Aeris said in agreement as she mimicked the martial artist. "We care about her too, Cloud. Please don't make us leave."

"Look," Cloud began as he turned to Aeris wondering how he was possibly going to explain his feelings to her. "The Shinra want you, Aeris. I really don't understand why, but for some reason, you're really important to them. I want to keep you safe, and the only way I know how to do that is by making you leave. If you stay here and get caught again, this whole mission will have been for nothing. Please understand that I don't want you to leave, but it's the only way to keep you safe."

"Fine…" she pouted as she slowly walked over to stand next to Barret. She seemed truly disappointed that he wasn't allowing her to stay behind, but at least she seemed to understand his reasoning.

"Don' worry, I'll take care of her," Barret assured him. "Jus' don't get your spiky ass caught!" he advised before heading to the lift with the flower girl and leaving Cloud, Tifa, and Red behind.

"Where shall we begin looking?" Red asked.

"I'm thinking we should give the 67th floor another look," Cloud suggested. Deep down, he had a feeling that she was close, but this wasn't a feeling that he could easily explain to the others. It was almost as if he could somehow sense her presence nearby. He had felt it the moment they had stepped onto the 67th floor earlier, but he had been so convinced that Hojo would lead them right to her that they hadn't even bothered to explore the rest of the level.

"That seems like a good place to start," the beast agreed. "Wait here for a minute," he added as he bounded up the stairs and into an office that overlooked the laboratory. He returned a few minutes later with a set of keycards in his mouth that he dropped into Cloud's hand. "Hojo's keycards. They should give us access to everything on these two floors."

The three of them boarded the elevator and returned to the 67th floor, passing the glass prison that Red had been held in as they made their way back toward the stairs to explore the other half of the floor. As Cloud walked silently through the room, his eyes once again fell on the dome shaped tank that held Jenova's body. For some reason, the tank seemed to be tugging at him like a magnet, but this time he fought the urge to go to it and kept walking. As they made their way around the corner to their starting point at the stairs, Cloud couldn't help but notice how deserted the floor was now. When they had passed through earlier, there had been many people in the laboratories and offices, but now there was no one. Perhaps Hojo had warned them of their presence and they had evacuated? For some reason, that didn't seem likely. If Hojo had alerted anyone, security would have locked the place down. It was, however, getting pretty late so maybe everyone had gone home for the night? Although Cloud found the sudden emptiness odd, he wasn't complaining. It was much easier to remain undetected and search for Lightning when the floor was deserted.

To his dismay, all of the offices and laboratories on the floor turned up empty without the slightest hint of Lightning's whereabouts. He was just about to give up and suggest searching a different floor when he noticed a narrow dimly lit corridor near the stairs that for some reason he had overlooked earlier. As he walked through the hallway and turned the corner, he arrived in another hall that was lined with six rooms, each with a red light above the door. His heart leapt at his discovery. If Lightning was anywhere in this building, she had to be here.

"Tifa, help me search the rooms!" he commanded as he handed her the keycard numbers 4-6 that corresponded with the door numbers on the left side of the hallway. Tifa nodded and moved hastily to begin her search, while Cloud proceeded to the right side of the hall and swiped the 'number 1' keycard over the reader for the first room. He opened the door and walked in to discover that it was empty, containing nothing inside but a bed. He emerged in the hallway at the same time Tifa exited room number 4. She gently shook her head to let him know that her room was also empty before moving onto the next. Swiping the 'number 2' keycard, he was disappointed to discover that this room was empty as well. Tifa was already making her way to room number 6 when he emerged in the hallway again. He felt a sense of sadness wash over him at the realization that Lightning might not be here at all, meaning that his gut feeling had been wrong. He didn't understand how he could be mistaken though, because he could still feel it. She felt closer than ever. A variety of emotions consumed him as he approached the final room, and he had just swiped the keycard over the reader to unlock the door when an earsplitting cry filled his ears causing him to spin on his heels and sprint in that direction.

"Cloud!" Tifa cried. "Cloud, come quick! I've found her!"

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for uploading this so late in the night. I meant to finish this earlier today so I could upload at a reasonable time, but my planned day of relaxation ended up having a full agenda. I ended up getting home at around 6pm and then the family came over for a bit. I had finally allotted some time to finish this thing about two hours ago and as I lying on my bed typing and petting my cat, I noticed that she had somehow gotten a massive hairball on her back. It took me about an hour to finally sort that out. I ended up just cutting it off, which really pissed her off. And then, I decided to piss her off even more by giving her a bath. For those of you who've never given a cat a bath, you come out of there looking like you've been to war lol. Cats are crazy! Okay…enough about that! Let's talk about the chapter.**

 **Can I just start out by saying that I hate the Shinra building? Not all of it, of course. I don't hate the really cool 'Sephiroth smearing the entire place in blood' part, or the pretty cool rooftop battle with Rufus, but I really hate everything leading up to the point of finding Aeris. I find it all to be a bit too tedious, and I really hope that didn't reflect here. I tried my very best to make certain parts more interesting. I've been playing this on my iPhone this time around, and let me just say, this part SUCKS on a mobile device. It's damn near impossible to sneak past those guards on the 60** **th** **floor with a touch screen phone…and I'm not there in the story yet, but the motorcycle fight was pretty hard as well. Speaking of, I'm pretty nervous to write that scene because…well…I don't know anything about bikes lol. I may have to enlist a special helper for the next chapter (assuming that he doesn't mind! *Wolf*)**

 **I want to apologize for the giant cliffhanger at the end at the end of this chapter. I decided that the Shinra building would be too much to squeeze into one chapter, unless you all wanted a 18-20k word chapter, in that case I'm sorry…actually, no I'm not! That would suck to edit! ;) I kind of feel bad though leaving the story like this because I'm not sure when my next update will be. I took a voluntary (and temporary) assignment change at work, and I've really been getting my ass handed to me lately. I wish that was a figure of speech, but unfortunately it's not. I literally come home with fresh bruises every day lol. I feel like these days I wake up early, go to work, get my ass kicked, come home (sometimes very late), lick my wounds for about an hour or so and then go to bed only to start it all over again the next day. There's not much time in there for writing, I'm afraid. It really sucks though, because I'm really excited to start writing the next chapter. We'll get to see all of the awesomeness that I mentioned above, but we also get to see Cloud and Light reunited! I'll try my very best to update when I can, but it won't be consistent like it has been. Sometime after the New Year, I'll be returning to my normal job and my updating frequency should return to normal as well.**

 **Okay…let's talk about Lightning for a minute: I just want to clarify that she has indeed been experimented on by Hojo. Mako, Jenova cells, you name it…so when Cloud begins to sense her presence on the 67** **th** **floor, he is sensing her through his connection to her Jenova cells…the same way he can sense Sephiroth. You know…reunion theory, and all that good stuff. Cloud just doesn't know that he's part of all that yet ;) Another thing, while I'm on the topic of Cloud and Light. I love Cloud, I really do, but I can't wait to switch back to Light. Cloud is fun to write, but these full chapters from his perspective are killing me. I hate feeling like I'm just novelizing the game, and that's how writing Cloud is making me feel right now. I just feel like I do better writing from her perspective. I know they're basically the same person, but I feel more connected with her and what she's feeling. I'll still flip between the two, but I'll more than likely favor her in the future.**

 **Let me just say that I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of feedback I received for chapter 11. Thank you to everyone who answered my distress call and left your thoughts in the reviews. It sounds silly to admit this, but words cannot possibly describe how nervous I was to post that chapter. It know it sounds silly, but think about it: I'm a new writer, I killed off a character (along with an entire town of people), I tortured the protagonist, had another character abducted, included two fight scenes, and all the while I'm trying to navigate Cloud through all of this and help him sort out his emotions (which I purposely redirected from Aeris to Lightning for story development). There was a lot going on there. I did learn a very valuable lesson though: I will NEVER again post a new chapter before bedtime on a work night. I seriously couldn't sleep that night because I was terrified of reading the reviews the next day. This anxiety ended up being silly though because you all are AMAZING and really know how to build a girl up, so thanks again for your support and for all of your kind words. They really meant the world to me :)**

 **To my usuals:**

 **The Sorrowful Deity, Wolf777, MissTaarna, Okikun, Warrick24, Astrea Erushia, and Monking II - Thanks for always being there for me and for faithfully reviewing. You guys keep me going, and I love you for that!  
**

 **To my new reviewers:**

 **AquaThunderKnight17, blazer, guest number 0, and the guest – Hello and welcome! Thank you so much for taking the time to review! I really hope you all will stick around for the rest of the journey!**

 **A big shout out to all the readers! Even if you refuse to review, I know you're here and I still love you! The story just hit FIVE THOUSAND visitors this week (wow!) That doesn't even seem possible. Thanks to everyone who had followed / favorited the story – if you haven't done so already, please take a second to do that. Remember, I'm still a newbie and I'm trying to build my street cred (LMAO, jk!). Seriously though…all jokes aside. It's easy to do..just click a button and you'll get my updates, which makes me a happy girl!**

 **Don't forget to feed Ochu! He was really satisfied last week, but he's a growing boy and needs his reviews. Plus, I found this chapter rather difficult to write for several reasons, so I'd love to know how I did. :)**

 **To the U.S. readers: Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families. Also, stay safe if you decide to go out on Black Friday. I personally do not partake in that because I can't imagine anything worth getting stabbed or trampled over…plus I'd like to make it to my birthday on Saturday hehe! ;)**

 **Have a lovely night, or day for the readers on the other side of the world! I'm going to bed...Goodnight!  
**

 **-Lady A**


	14. Chapter 13: The Rescue, Part 2

**A/N:**

 **-Still don't own any of it. Wish I did, though.**

 **-Be aware of spelling and grammatical errors...second longest chapter right behind Part 1 (9,983 words!)  
**

* * *

Chapter 13 – The Rescue, Part 2

"Cloud!" Tifa cried. "Cloud, come quick! I've found her!"

Cloud spun on the spot and sprinted from the room and across the hallway into the room Tifa had called from. As he charged through the door, the worried faces of both Tifa and Red greeted him as they looked up from their hunched positions on either side of the bed. As his eyes landed on the figure between them, his heart sank when he took in the unconscious form of Lightning. From where he stood, she looked thinner and more pale than usual, which really accentuated the dark circles that had formed beneath her closed eyes. She had been stripped down to her skirt and sleeveless turtleneck, and her white top coat, boots, shoulder pauldron, gloves, and arm sleeve now sat on the floor in the corner of the room. As he slowly approached and took his place next to Tifa, he noticed that the inside of her arms at the crook in her elbow as well as the top of her hands were decorated with large black bruises, and her wrists were raw from what he could only assume had been restraints.

"Lightning," Tifa called softly as she leaned over and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Lightning, can you hear me?" There was no response, so she tried again, this time grabbing the top of her arm to gently shake her. As her hand made contact with Lightning's skin she quickly retracted her hand in surprise. "Her skin is so hot, I think she's sick!"

"Sick?" Cloud questioned as he leaned forward to place a hand gently on her face. Tifa was right; Lightning was burning up. "…she's so hot. What did they do to her?"

"It's hard to say," Red shook his head, "…but it would appear they are administering some sort of sedative to her," he added as he nodded to the IV was connected to Lightning's bruised arm. "It may be a while before she comes back to us. Do you think you can remove this?"

"It shouldn't be that hard…" Cloud replied as he very carefully removed the tape holding the IV in place and slowly pulled the needle from her arm, taking care to not further injure her. "We need to go!" he added as he gently scooped her up into his arms and turned to face his comrades. "Let's get to the elevators and then get the hell outta here!"

Tifa and Red nodded in agreement before turning to lead the way back to the elevators on the 66th floor. As Cloud trailed behind through the corridors, he looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms. He hated seeing her like this: damaged and weak. This wasn't the Lightning that he had come to know over the past several days. He knew that Shinra liked to perform human experiments, but this was the first time he had ever seen it with his own eyes. What could they have possibly done to her to make her this sick? The possibilities seemed endless and with each scenario that he played through his head, a small piece of hope that she'd ever be herself again faded.

As he adjusted her weight and rested her head against his chest, he realized that he had already begun sweating from her body heat. They needed to lower her temperature and soon, or the fever would more than likely kill her. Honestly, it was a surprise that she hadn't died already with a fever this high. Plus factoring in all of the things that Hojo had possibly done to her, and the damage he may have caused in the process. Of course, there would be no way of knowing what exactly he had done or the full extent of the damage until she came around…that is, _if_ she ever came around. And even if she did eventually wake up, would she still be herself?

A sudden trembling in his arms immediately cut him from his thoughts and he anxiously looked back down at Lightning. She hadn't moved a muscle since they had discovered her and he wasn't really sure what to expect. He prayed that it was just the fever making her shiver and that she wasn't about to go into some sort of fit, or worse. As he studied her face for any unusual signs, it suddenly twisted uncomfortably and her eye lids had begun fluttering lightly, suggesting that she was dreaming. This thought gave him a bit of comfort and renewed his hope that she could come back from this after all.

"…Serah…" the weak, raspy one word sentence that escaped her lips caught Cloud by surprise, as it did the other two because they suddenly stopped in their tracks and spun around to look at them.

"Did she just say something?" Tifa inquired, unsure if she had been imagining things.

"I-I think so," Cloud confirmed as he continued to stare at the pinkette. "…but it didn't make sense."

"I believe she said 'Serah'," Red informed them.

"Who's Serah?" Tifa pressed as she looked at Lightning as if she half expected her to wake up and explain herself.

"I'm not sure," Cloud admitted as he began walking again. "This is the first time I've heard the name."

 _'Serah…must be someone important.'_

As they descended to the 66th floor, Cloud noticed this level, like the level above, had been deserted as well. The floor that had been so lively and full of Shinra executives not even an hour ago now stood empty and devoid of life. It was almost as if everyone in the building had dropped whatever they were doing and gone home for the night. Something seemed off about the whole thing, and Cloud couldn't help but feel like they were walking into a trap. He hoped that wasn't the case, but what option did they have but to keep moving forward?

Tifa pressed the button to call the elevator and the doors opened once again to reveal the magnificent view of the outside world. It almost seemed as if they were home free as they filed into the elevator, that is, until a tall, bald man dressed in a sharp suit and sunglasses walked in behind them and crossed his arms. "Would you press 'up' please?" he politely asked Tifa, but somehow, Cloud knew that this was no request.

"Turks!" he muttered as he studied the man's suit. "Must be a trap…"

"This must've been a real thrill for you…did you enjoy it?" Tseng asked as he casually strolled into the elevator and shot them a victorious grin before inserting his keycard into the panel and selecting the top floor. "Man, she looks bad…" he added with a quick glance at Lightning. "Rude, take the girl!" he commanded, which immediately prompted Cloud to take a step backward and tighten his defensive grip around Lightning, while Red stepped between them to growl angrily at the men. "Don't be foolish," Tseng advised as he raised his hand to rest it on his side arm. "Just give her to him and no one has to get hurt."

Tifa tensed up beside him and shot him a nervous glance. It was easy to assume that she was waiting for his approval before she went on the offense, but Cloud inconspicuously shook his head at her and proceeded to do as he was instructed. There was no way they could start a fight in this cramped elevator, not without risking someone getting seriously injured or the possibility of shattering the glass and sending them all to their deaths. It seemed as if they would have to play along for now, so he begrudgingly passed Lightning over to the bald man, and within seconds Tseng had bound all their wrists behind their back.

The elevator came to a halt on the 69th floor and the doors opened to reveal a lobby with two abandoned reception desks and a purple carpeted imperial staircase that lead to the 70th floor where the president resided. As Tseng pushed them from the cramped space, Cloud noticed that Reno was leaning casually next to the wall outside of the elevator doors and next to him stood their dark skinned rebellion leader. Aeris, however, was nowhere to be seen so Cloud could only assume that she had been returned to Hojo's laboratory. Barret gave Cloud a quick look of remorse before his eyes widened at the sight of the pinkette in Rude's arms.

"Lightnin'?" he gasped. "What the hell you scumbags do to her?" he roared angrily at the Turks, which earned him a painful electric zap from Reno's baton that sent him crashing to his knees.

"She's seen better days, hasn't she?" Reno smirked as he brought his baton up and rested it against his shoulder. "Don't worry, though. I'm sure good ol' Hojo'll fix her up…" he laughed, causing Cloud to grit his teeth and shake in anger.

"Just take her back," Tseng rolled his eyes as Rude stepped forward to place the pinkette in Reno's arms.

"Damn, she's hot!" Reno exclaimed as soon as Rude dropped the unconscious woman into his arms. "I mean, I always thought she was hot…but seriously, she's really hot! How is this chick not dead already?"

Tseng and Rude chose to ignore Reno's comments and began to herd the four of them toward the right staircase. With Rude taking the lead and Tseng watching them all from behind, they slowly made their way up the stairs to the 70th floor. As they arrived on the top floor, the purple carpeting beneath their feet turned into an expensive grey marble, and as Cloud looked up he saw that the room they had arrived in was empty save for the oversized desk that occupied a good portion of it. Tseng and Rude lined them up in front of the desk and nudged them forward. As they approached, President Shinra looked up from his work with an amused expression on his face.

"Where's Aeris!?" Cloud instantly demanded.

"In a safe place," the president replied as he stood up and adjusted his tie. "She's the last surviving Ancient…Don't you know? They called themselves the Cetra and lived thousands of years ago. Now they are just a forgotten page in history."

"Cetra…that girl is a survivor of the Cetra?" Red inquired curiously.

"Cetra…" Shinra continued as he walked around the desk to stand in front of them, "…or the Ancients, will show us the way to the 'Promised Land'. I'm expecting a lot out of her."

"The Promised Land? Isn't that just a legend?" Red asked skeptically.

"Even so, it's far too appealing not to pursue. It's been said that the Promised Land is very fertile…and if the land is fertile…"

"Then there's gotta be mako!" Barret said, suddenly realizing where the president was going with all of this.

"Exactly!" the president smiled as he paced back and forth in front of them. "That is why our money making mako reactor is necessary. The abundant mako will flow out on its own. That's where Neo-Midgar will be built. Shinra's new glory…"

"Bastard! Quit dreamin'!" Barret roared angrily causing the president to slightly chuckle.

"Oh really, don't you know?" the president asked smugly. "These days all it takes to for your dreams to come true is money and power…well, that's all for our meeting" he added as he waved his hand to dismiss them, which prompted the bald headed Turk to rush forward.

"Come on! Outta his way!" Rude ordered as he ushered them back towards the stairs.

"Hold it! I got a lot to say to you!" Barret yelled as he lunged toward the president only to be cut off by Rude who grabbed him and began pushing him backwards.

"If there's anything else…talk to my secretary," the president laughed as the wild, thrashing man was pushed down the staircase.

* * *

The cell that Cloud and Tifa had been locked in could easily be recognized as one of the rooms on the 67th floor they had searched earlier in the night. The room only had one bed, so Cloud had offered it to Tifa, and now he sat on the floor leaning against the wall reflecting on everything that had transpired over the past few hours. Their mission to rescue Lightning and Aeris had been a complete failure. Both girls had once again been in his protection tonight and he had let them both down. He was pretty sure that Aeris would be fine; she was valuable to the Shinra in order to obtain this 'Promised Land' they spoke of, so he was pretty confident they would never hurt her. Lightning, on the other hand, he wasn't so sure about. For some reason, she was of value as well, but the exact reason was still unknown. It was obvious that crazy scientist had really done a number on her over the past few days, and it was hard to tell if she would end up surviving, or not.

From the bed, Tifa let out an exasperated sigh as she flipped over onto her back and pulled the pillow over her head in an attempt to drown out the sound of Barret's snoring that echoed from the room next door that he shared with Red. Cloud had given up on sleep hours ago. Even if Barret hadn't been sawing logs in the next room, he probably still wouldn't be able to sleep, not with his mind this full. He couldn't help but wonder what the Shinra had in store for them. Would they publically execute them to show the world that the 'big bad AVALANCHE' couldn't hurt them anymore, or did they have something more sinister in mind? Cloud found it curious that they had brought them to the 67th floor: Hojo's laboratories. Was Shinra planning to let Hojo experiment on them the way he had Lightning? Speaking of Lightning, he wondered if they had returned her to this hall. And Aeris, had they brought her here as well?

"Psst!" Tifa called, suddenly ripping him from his thoughts. Looking through the darkness, he could just barely make out her annoyed face as she rolled over on the bed to face him. "Can we get out?"

"Leave it to me," Cloud responded with false confidence as he got up and walked over to the door. The truth of the matter was that he had no idea how to get out of here. The door was sealed tightly, and there were no widows nor anything in the room that could aid in their escape. The guards had stripped them all of their weapons, tools, and of the keycards he had previously held in his possession, and without them he saw no possible way to escape.

"Cloud, are you there?" called a voice that he hadn't been expecting to hear, causing him to spin on the spot to stare at the wall he had just been leaning against.

"Aeris!?" he exclaimed. "Are you safe?"

"Yeah, I'm alright…" she confirmed before pausing for a moment. "…I knew that you would come for me." He could almost picture the warm smile on her face as she said those words and for some reason, her words brought a smile to his face as well.

"Hey, I'm your bodyguard, right?"

"The deal was for one date, right?" she asked jokingly.

"…oh, I get it!" Tifa interrupted as she irritably pushed herself up on the bed.

"Tifa!?" Aeris called out in surprise. "Tifa, you're there too!"

"EXCUSE me." Tifa grumbled as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "You know, Aeris. I have a question."

"…What?" Aeris replied nervously. Tifa sat in silence for a moment as she pondered her next words, and even through the darkness, Cloud could see the irritation fade from the martial artist's face as she stared at the wall behind him.

"Does the Promised Land really exist?" she finally asked in a much softer tone than she had previously used.

"I…don't know." Aeris admitted. It was clear Tifa's question had caught her off guard. "All I know is…the Cetra were born from the planet, speak with the planet, and unlock the planet…and….then….the Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises supreme happiness."

"…What does that mean?" Tifa asked.

"More than words…I don't know."

"Speak with the planet?" Cloud questioned. The whole thing was beginning to sound a bit farfetched to him. How could someone speak with the planet? And more importantly, how could the planet talk back?

"Just what does the planet say?" Tifa asked with equal skepticism.

"It's full of people and noisy," Aeris explained. "That's why I can't make out what they are saying."

"You hear it now?"

"I-I only heard it at the church in the slums. Mother said that Midgar was no longer safe. That is…my real mother." Aeris let out a loud yawn before continuing. "Someday I'll get out of Midgar…speak with the planet and find my Promised Land…that's what mom said. I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but…"

"I think she fell asleep," Tifa observed as she laid back on the bed.

"We should do the same," Cloud replied as slid down the wall to settle into his spot on the floor. As he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but think about Aeris' words. Could it be possible that she was telling the truth? Could she really talk to the planet, and hear its response? The Cetra, the planet, the Promised Land…what does it all mean?

* * *

The room had gone quiet and Lightning now lay awake and stared at the ceiling above her. The voices of Cloud, Aeris, and Tifa had broken her from her slumber. She couldn't tell where exactly their voices had been coming from; all she knew was that they had been close by. Was it possible that they had come to find her? She had tried to call out to them, to alert them of her presence, but her voice had been no more than a barely audible whisper, and now she wanted more than anything to run to the door and beg them to not leave her behind. Her muscles, however, seemed to have betrayed her and refused to budge, so now she had no choice but to lay here and wait.

It seemed that the only thing her body was capable of doing was shivering. She was freezing. This in conjunction with a pounding headache, seemed to indicate that she was more than likely running a fever. The pain from her head seemed to pulsate throughout the rest of her body and left her limbs achy and exhausted. Even if her body was failing her, she was thankful for one thing: it appeared that her vision had fully returned, in fact, it seemed sharper than it had ever been before.

Lightning spent the next half hour or so trying to force her body to move, but unfortunately all she managed to accomplish was more shivering with a few muscle twitches thrown in here and there. The whole thing was disheartening, but perhaps most depressing of all was wondering if the small progress had truly been hers, or had only been residual from whatever that man had done to her. Either way her attempts to move her limbs had left her exhausted, and now she lay staring at the ceiling again.

Her eyelids had grown heavy once again, but Lightning tried as hard as she could to hang on to consciousness. More than anything, she was afraid that if she succumbed to sleep, she would wake up to that sick man again, or worse, she would dream. It was hard to determine which was worse: the physical torture or the mental torture that was no doubt delusions caused by the former. The only thing that seemed to be holding her together was the small amount of hope she retained that Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris would come back for her and the knowledge that her dreams were just that: dreams.

* * *

She was unsure how long she had been asleep. She didn't even recall the moment she had lost the battle against her fatigue, but now she was being jerked awake by a painful sensation that coursed through her body. She was afraid to open her eyes to face reality, so she kept them shut and decided to play dead. The painful pressure seemed to be localized around her ribcage and her legs, and a nauseating rhythmic motion seemed to suggest that she was being carried somewhere. Her suspicions were confirmed not even a moment later when her weight was painfully shifted and her head was rested against something hard and the 'thump thump' of a heartbeat could be heard.

"No human could have done this," a voice she did not recognize stated cryptically. "I'll go on ahead."

"What's happened?" an unforgettable voice echoed next to her head, causing her eyes to shoot open to look up at the face of Cloud Strife. As she studied his face through the darkness, she prayed that he was real and not just a figment of her imagination.

"Come on, let's follow Red!" Tifa's voice called out from somewhere nearby as her footsteps echoed throughout the halls.

"….Cloud…." she managed to croak causing him to look down at her in surprise.

"Lightning!" he gasped. "Are you okay?" he asked as he attempted to place her on her feet only for her to immediately collapse back into his arms. "What did they do to you?" He asked as he lowered her to the ground and leaned her up against the wall.

"I…don't…know…" she replied weakly as she tried to fight the rising nausea caused by all of the movement. "...my…body…I can't…move…"

"Look at me!" he ordered as he suddenly gripped her chin and jerked her face upward. The sudden movement amplified her nausea and she could feel the bile rising in her throat, but she did as instructed, and as her eyes traveled up his body and locked onto his, he inhaled sharply and looked at her with a troubled expression.

"…What's…wrong…?" she asked as she stared into his glowing cerulean eyes.

"I-uh…It's nothing." he responded as he quickly broke eye contact to stare at the floor with an expression on his face that she didn't quite understand. "We should probably get going. The others are waiting…" he added as he grabbed her under the arms to raise her up.

"I-I think…I think I'm gonna be sick…" she choked as her head fell forward and she emptied the dark contents of her stomach onto the floor between them before falling limply back into his arms.

* * *

 _'They were mako eyes.'_ Cloud thought as he followed the others through blood splattered halls of the 67th floor. _'…But why?'_ What reason could Shinra possibly have for pumping her full of mako, and in such an inhumane way? Did they do it just because they could, or was there another reason behind it? The President had expressed an interest in her from the moment he had first laid eyes on her, but why? It was obvious from looking at her that she was different, but did the President know something about her that the rest of them didn't? _'None of this makes sense,'_ Cloud thought as he looked around at the streaks of blood that seemed to be leading them back into Hojo's laboratories. _'What the hell's going on in this place?'_

He had awoken in his cell not even fifteen minutes ago. Barret's snoring had filled the air once again and Tifa's deep breaths seemed to suggest that she had managed to fall asleep as well. Something had changed about their environment though, and he had noticed it before he even opened his eyes. The scent of blood seemed to fill the air, and as Cloud opened his eyes he immediately noticed that the door to their cell had been unlocked. As he stepped out into the hallway to investigate, his eyes immediately fell on the Shinra grunt that lay motionless, face down in the corner in a pool of his own blood. Patting him down, Cloud retrieved the keycards for the cells and as he turned around to return to his own room to wake Tifa, he noticed that the door leading to the room where they had discovered Lightning was also unlocked. Hurrying back into his own room, he woke Tifa and passed her the keycards while he investigated Lightning's room on his own. He wasn't sure what he had expected to see, but when he opened the door, he was relieved to see that she was just lying on the bed, no different than she had when they had first found her. It didn't make sense…why had their only rooms been unlocked, and who could have unlocked them?

"Jenova Specimen…" Red muttered as they entered Hojo's laboratory. "Looks like it went to the upper level using that elevator for the specimen."

Cloud's stomach did a somersault as his eyes shot over to the dome shaped chamber that had contained Jenova's headless body to see that it had been ripped open and now sat empty. The six of them continued past the container to follow the trail of blood through the maze of crates and squeezed into the tight service elevator that would take them to the 68th floor. As the lift came to a stop in Hojo's upper laboratory, Red immediately raced ahead to inspect a body that was lying on the ground off in the distance.

"It looks like it leads up…" he observed as his eyes followed the bloody trail to the stairwell leading to the 69th floor.

Cloud nervously shifted Lightning's weight in his arms as they arrived in the lobby of the next floor. The whole level seemed to be littered with dead bodies that had been mangled in some way, and the bloody trail continued up the left flight of steps to its final destination on the 70th floor. It was safe to assume that whatever had done all of this would more than likely still be up there, waiting for them. As he looked down at an unconscious Lightning in his arms, the thought crossed his mind to leave her here while they went to investigate, but he hated the idea of leaving her behind, even for a few minutes. As they slowly crept up the bloodstained carpeted stairs to President Shinra's office, all of their mouths dropped in horror at the sight that awaited them at the top: President Shinra lay slumped over his desk with a very long and familiar sword sticking out of his back.

 _'It can't be'_ Cloud thought as he mindlessly took a few steps forward to get a better look. _'That sword…'_

"He's dead…" Barret gasped as he continued to gape at the dead man. "The leader of Shinra, Inc. is dead…"

"Then this sword must be….?" Tifa mumbled as she stared in disbelief at the weapon in front of them.

"Sephiroth's!" Cloud confirmed, which earned him a variety of different looks from the others as they each attempted to process the situation.

"…Sephiroth is alive?" she asked incredulously as her crimson eyes searched his own hoping that this was all some sick, twisted joke.

"Looks like it," he nodded with certainty. "Only Sephiroth can use that sword."

"Who cares who did it!?" Barret laughed. "This is the end of the Shinra now!"

Suddenly, Cloud noticed movement behind a nearby column and a fat little man darted out from behind, nearly knocking Aeris over in the process. He tried his best to sprint past them, but his short stubby legs couldn't carry him fast enough to avoid Barret, who grabbed him by the arms to hold him in place.

"P, p, p, please, don't kill me!" Palmer stammered as he fought to break free from Barret's tight hold.

"What happened?" Cloud demanded angrily.

"Se…Sephiroth!" The man cried. "Sephiroth came."

"Did you see him? Did you see Sephiroth?"

"Yeah, I saw him! With my own two eyes!"

"You really saw him?" Cloud asked again, secretly praying that the man was making it all up.

"Uh! Would I lie at a time like this!?" Palmer asked defensively. "I heard his voice, too. Um, he said something about not letting us have the Promised Land."

"Then does that mean the Promised Land really does exist and that Sephiroth's here to save it from Shinra?" Tifa asked as she mentally tried to put the puzzle pieces together.

"So he's a good guy then?" Barret speculated.

"Save the Promised Land? A good guy? No way!" Cloud roared angrily, startling everyone in the room. Cloud took a deep breath and exhaled before readdressing the issue. "It's not that simple…" he tried to explain. "I know him! Sephiroth's mission is different."

Taking advantage of the group's momentary distraction, the fat little man managed to wiggle out of Barret's grasp and made a beeline toward the door that led outside. Cloud's eyes followed him as he ran along the outside balcony and onto a large opening where a helicopter was lowing onto the surface. As soon as the chopper made contact with the ground, a young man with light blonde hair and a white business suit jumped out onto the landing to greet the fat man.

"Rufus!" Barret exclaimed. "Shit! I forgot about him!"

"Who's that?" Tifa asked, taking the question right out of Cloud's mouth.

"Vice President, Rufus." Barret clarified. "The President's son."

"I wonder what sort of person he is…" Tifa pondered.

"Let's go find out!" Cloud suggested as he adjusted Lightning's weight again and walked toward the door.

"I've heard that no one's ever seen him bleed or cry," Aeris muttered as they proceeded around the side balcony.

"I heard that he'd been assigned somewhere else for a long time…" Barret added as they rounded the corner and the Vice President and Palmer came into view once more.

"So…Sephiroth was actually here." Rufus said thoughtfully as he concluded his conversation with Palmer and looked up to acknowledge their presence. "…By the way, just who are you?" Palmer spun around at Rufus' inquiry and let out a loud squeak before hastily retreating to the helicopter.

"I'm Cloud, ex-SOLDIER, First Class!"

"I'm from AVALANCHE!" Barret roared as he held up his fist threateningly.

"Me too!" Tifa added.

"I'm a flower girl from the slums." Aeris said quietly.

"A research specimen," Red answered bitterly.

"What a crew." Rufus chuckled before swishing the bangs from his face and then standing tall to straighten his white jacket. "Well, I'm Rufus. The President of Shinra, Inc."

"You're only President 'cause yer old man died!" Barret yelled.

"Correct." Rufus smirked at him. "I'll let you hear my inauguration speech…Father tried to control the world with money, and that worked for him. The people believed that Shinra would protect them. Work at Shinra, get your pay. If terrorists attack, the Shinra army will help you. It looked perfect from the outside. But, I'll do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It's too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste good money on them."

"He likes to make speeches just like his father!" Tifa said in disgust.

"Get Lightning and Aeris out of the building!" Cloud commanded as he walked over to the dark skinned leader and placed Lightning gently in his arms.

"What?" Barret asked in disbelief as he looked from unconscious woman in his arms to the determined look on the blonde's face.

"I'll explain later! Barret! This is the real crises for the planet!"

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" he demanded angrily as he stubbornly rooted himself to the spot. It was clear that he had no desire to leave Cloud to face Rufus alone.

"I'll explain later! Just take my word for now! I'll go after I take care of him!"

"Alright, Cloud!" he finally relented as he motioned for the others to follow him. Tifa remained stationary for a moment before giving him a short nod and rushing after the others.

* * *

As the group rushed back into the Shinra building, Aeris couldn't help but worry about her blonde hair comrade. She trusted Cloud and in his abilities, but she hated feeling like she was leaving him behind to face Rufus alone, especially since he had done so much for her and for the rest of the group. He was right, though. Things were about to get really messy, and getting out of the building was paramount, but that didn't change how she felt. Leaving Cloud behind just felt wrong.

"Cloud…" she muttered as she came to a halt between the two reception desks on the 69th floor causing the others to spin around. Tifa and Red looked at her with a mixture of confusion and worry, while Barret huffed in annoyance as he readjusted Lightning's weight in his arms. "I just thought of something…" she began nervously, hoping the others would catch on and suggest they either go back or at least wait for him.

"…I'll wait for Cloud!" Tifa assured, immediately catching on to Aeris' reservations. "Everyone, get to the elevator!" she commanded as she pushed them toward the elevators and then returned to wait next to the blood stained stairwell.

Aeris pressed the button to call the elevator and the door immediately opened to once again reveal the breathtaking view of the city. Filing into the elevator, Aeris pressed the button for the ground floor and the elevator began to lower. No sooner had the elevator begun to move, sudden gunfire shattered the glass around the elevator causing Aeris to drop to the ground with her hands over her head. As she raised her head to look around, the wind ripped violently through her hair and she saw that the others had fallen to the ground as well, but luckily no one seemed to be injured.

"Take care of Pinky!" Barret shouted to her as he hastily got up and began firing at the tank like machine that was riding on the second elevator moving parallel to them.

Aeris quickly scrambled over to Lightning to pull her out of the line of fire as Red jumped to his feet and began sending fireballs at the machine. With the two of them hammering the tank with everything they had, they managed to push it backward until it fell from the side of the elevator to the ground below. Their victory was short lived as another weird machine that was supported under a set of three propellers quickly replaced the tank.

 _'We're dead…'_ Aeris thought as she watched the machine lower its dual cannons and take aim. There was no way they could survive this. If the explosion didn't kill them, the fall would. Accepting her fate, she pulled Lightning into a tight embrace and squeezed her eyes closed to await the end. Suddenly she heard Barret let out an animalistic growl and a bright light burst through her eyelids. Quickly opening her eyes, she saw that Barret had his gun arm trained on the machine and attached to the end of his weapon was a large fireball that was growing rapidly in size. The fireball shot forward from Barret's arm and hit the machine with such force that it exploded midair, sending shards of metal flying in every direction.

* * *

"Why do you want to fight me?" Rufus shrugged dismissively as Cloud wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword and removed it from its resting place on his back.

"You want the Promised Land and Sephiroth."

"That's right," the new president confirmed. "Did you know that Sephiroth is an Ancient?"

"Whatever," Cloud huffed in annoyance. "I can't let either you or Sephiroth have the Promised Land!"

"I see…" Rufus sighed in mock dismay as he removed a shotgun from underneath his long jacket. "I guess we won't be allies." he laughed as he brought the weapon up and immediately fired a shot at Cloud, who barely managed to dodge in time. Cloud came out of his side roll to quickly send a bolt of electricity right at the president's chest. Rufus staggered back in surprise and lowered his weapon. He had obviously not expected Cloud to dodge his shot, and now he seemed unsure what to do next. At least the man seemed smart, and knew that he stood no chance in one on one combat. However, instead of retreating, the man brought his thumb and index finger up to his lips and whistled loudly. No sooner had the sound escaped his lips, a large dog like creature jumped from the helicopter and bared its teeth threateningly at Cloud.

 _'Great…'_ Cloud thought bitterly as he studied the animal's movements. _'Should have known he wouldn't fight his own battle.'_ Rufus backed away and was now watching in amusement as the beast circled Cloud and licked its lips hungrily. Deciding to go on the offense, Cloud adjusted his grip on his sword to prepare his attack, but this small movement seemed to anger the creature and it leapt forward to throw him off balance. Cloud hit the ground hard as the dog landed on top of him, digging its nails into his shoulders. The creature aimed a bite directly at his face, which he blocked with his arm. He hissed in pain as the dog's sharp teeth broke his skin and sent blood dripping down onto his face. "Enough!" he roared angrily as he kneed the dog in the belly causing it to yelp in pain, before rolling over to pick up his buster sword and decapitating the beast.

"Well…that's all for today…" Rufus said as he nervously retreated to the rising helicopter and jumped up to grab the skids.

"Damn!" Cloud cursed angrily as he watched the chopper disappear into the night. This man seemed to pose a greater threat to the world than his father, so Cloud was pretty upset that he hadn't been able to finish him off. How had Rufus even known that his father had been killed in the first place? It seemed odd that he had just randomly decided to show up right after his father had been murdered, and Cloud couldn't help but wonder if Rufus had been involved in some way. The thought didn't seem likely though. Sephiroth was no one's puppet, and would gain nothing by Rufus' succession…or would he?

As Cloud sprinted down the bloodstained carpeted stairs to the lobby on the 69th floor, he spot Tifa standing alone next to one of the reception desks. He was a little annoyed that she hadn't gone with Barret to protect Lightning and Aeris, but any anger he held on to melted away when he saw her eyes light up at the sight of him, and he knew that she had only stayed behind because she was concerned about him.

"Where's Rufus?" she questioned as soon as he came to a stop in front of her.

"I couldn't finish 'em." Cloud panted. "This is gonna get complicated.

* * *

"Oh, thank god!" Aeris exhaled as soon as the elevator landed safely on the ground floor. The ordeal above had ensured that she would never willingly step into an elevator again. In fact, it took all the restraint she had to refrain from leaping from the lift to kiss the ground beneath her.

"I'll go on ahead!" Barret informed them as he scooped Lightning up from the ground and began running toward the main entrance, only to be cut off by twenty or so soldiers that were advancing with their guns trained on them. "Fuck…We're surrounded!"

"You all get out while you can!" Aeris pleaded. "It's not you they're after…it's me."

"That ain't happenin'." Barret replied sternly. "You got caught up in this over Marlene. Now, it's my turn to help you!"

"Thank you, Mr. Barret!"

"Who you callin' Mr. Barret? That don't sound right!"

"Well then…" Red interrupted. "If you are through talking, may I suggest that we think of a way to get out of here?"

"Huh?" Barret asked in confusion. "Oh, oh yeah…you're cold, man. Just like someone else 'round here I know…" he mumbled softly.

"Did you say something?" Red asked in annoyance.

"'Notta thing.." Barret chuckled. "So what're we gonna do?"

"Barrett!" Tifa called from above as she rushed down the stairs.

"Tifa! Where's Cloud?"

"Everyone! Over here!" she panted trying to wave them to the back of the lobby.

"Huh? What's up? Where's Cloud?" Barret demanded again.

"He's coming!" she insisted as a loud rumbling noise suddenly filled the air. "Hurry, Hurry!" she pleaded as she led them to the back of the lobby and through a glass door into a parking garage.

Rushing to the first vehicle that was big enough to accommodate them, Tifa threw open the door to the light green truck and hopped into the driver's seat, while Aeris hopped into the passenger's seat. Barret carefully laid Lightning in the bed of the truck, and then stood for a moment looking at Tifa with a confused expression on his face until Cloud suddenly flew around the corner on a motorcycle.

* * *

"Where'd the hell you get that?" Barret demanded as soon as Cloud came to a squealing halt beside them.

"Does it matter?" Cloud responded coldly just as a hail of bullets broke through the glass behind them. "Get in!"

Barret cursed in frustration before hoping onto the bed of the truck and plopping down next to Lightning with his back resting against the cab. Tifa mashed her foot onto the accelerator, causing the tires to squeal loudly against the pavement as Red took a running leap to land in the back next to Barret. Leading the group back up the stairs from which he came, Cloud hesitated for a moment before shooting forward to shatter the window in front of him. Time seemed to stand still as he flew through the air, and quite honestly he loved the weightless feeling of the freefall. As he got closer to the ground, he pulled his handlebars back to land on his rear tire in hopes of absorbing some of the shock from the fall.

As he landed on the ground with a painful crunch, he looked over his shoulder and was relieved to see that Tifa had successfully made the jump as well, but his relief quickly turned to dread as ten soldiers on motorbikes shot from the window they had just broken through and landed gracefully behind them. The soldiers seemed to only be interested in recovering Lightning and Aeris, as they paid him no mind and immediately raced toward the truck. Barret wasted no time as he let out an angry roar and began firing at the men, instantly killing five of them and causing their bikes to crash onto the highway. The remaining soldiers spread out behind them and pulled their pistols, forcing Barret to take shelter as a hail of bullets pelted the back of the truck.

"Go! Go!" Cloud waved Tifa ahead as he slowed down to let her pass. Catching the soldier beside him off guard, he swung his sword to the left. His heavy sword cut through the man's chest, causing the motorcycle beneath him fell to the ground, taking out one of the soldiers behind as well as his bike tumbled over the wreckage. Satisfied with his two kills, Cloud sped up to reach the truck where the remaining three soldiers were advancing with their swords drawn.

Thinking quickly, Cloud returned his sword to his back and fished out his lightning materia from his pocket. Aiming carefully as to not hit the truck, he sent a powerful bolt of electricity into the motorcycle in front which completely fried all of its circuits rendering it useless. He hoped the wreckage would have been enough to stop at least one of the other soldiers, but the two remaining men swerved around the skidding motorcycle on the ground and then quickly rounded on him. As the two bikes closed in on him from both sides, he quickly stepped on the rear brake and squealed to a halt as the two of them collided and fell to the ground.

"Is everyone okay?" Cloud asked as he approached the edge of the unfinished highway where the truck had been forced to stop.

"I-I think so," Tifa said shakily as she got out of the truck and slammed the door behind her.

"All good," Aeris smiled as she got out from the passenger's side and peeked over into the bed of the truck. "Lightning's okay too. You know, I think she'll be pretty bummed that she missed your motorcycle show."

"Shhh…" Red shushed as he hopped from the back of the truck onto the pavement. "Do you hear that?" As Cloud strained his ears, he heard the rumbling that Red was speaking of and suddenly felt a vibration beneath his feet as whatever it was came closer. As his mako eyes stared down the road, he caught a glimpse of something in the distance traveling in their direction. "Get Lightning out of the truck!" Red commanded as he nudged Aeris over to the side of the road. "Everyone get out of the way!"

Cloud hopped into the back of the truck and scooped the unconscious woman into his arms. As he looked up, he was surprised at how fast the vehicle was traveling. From where he stood, the vehicle looked like a large tank, but it was moving at such a rapid pace that it couldn't be an ordinary tank. As it raced closer and closer, Cloud noticed that there were spikes on the tires, and as it suddenly changed shape he realized that this was indeed no ordinary tank. It was automatic; there was no one operating it, and he could only assume that it must have been sent as a last effort to run them off the side of the road, but at the speed it was approaching and with nowhere to go, it was going to crash into them and send them over the edge. He quickly jumped from the truck onto the side of the road just as the tank hit the motorcycle and truck with such force that all three vehicles plummeted over the edge of the unfinished highway and crashed into the sector below with a large explosion.

"Damn…" Barret said as he peeked over the edge to stare at the burning wreckage below. "…..What do we do now?"

"We should keep moving," Red advised. "The explosion may convince them that we are dead, so it be wise to take advantage of that." The others nodded in agreement before walking back down the empty highway in search for a way to repel down.

"Sephiroth is alive…I have to settle the score." Cloud said, suddenly breaking the silence.

"Will that save the planet?" Barret asked as he cast a sideways glance at the blonde.

"…It seems so." Cloud nodded. To be honest, he didn't really know if going after Sephiroth would save anything at all, but he couldn't let that man live…not after everything he had done…not after Nibelheim.

"Then, I'm going" Barret resolved before hurrying to catch up with Red who was looking at something with great interest on the side of the road.

"I'll go, too" Aeris added. "There are things I need to know."

"About the Ancients?" Cloud inquired.

"…Many things…" she muttered quietly as she looked up at the starry sky above in silent contemplation. Cloud hated the idea of leading her into danger, but the fact remained that Midgar was no longer safe for her. Shinra and The Turks would soon be searching for her again, and she would be safer outside of Midgar and where he could keep an eye on her. It was settled; Aeris wasn't leaving the party. He'd promised to keep her safe and that was exactly what he was going to do. He would never let the Shinra lay a hand on her again.

"I guess it's goodbye, Midgar." Tifa sighed as she turned around to take in the image of the city one last time. It was easy to see that Tifa had a lot weighing on her mind, and while he didn't feel the same connection as the rest of the group, he could still sympathize with how they felt. Midgar was their home, and leaving home is never easy.

"Yo!" Barret called from up ahead. "I think we can use this wire to climb down!"

"I'm going back to my hometown," Red informed them as soon as Cloud's feet touched the ground outside the gates of the Sector 7 ruins. "I'll go with you as far as that."

"We told Aeris' mom to go somewhere safe, so Marlene should be safe too, right?" Barret asked hopefully.

"She said she didn't want to stay in Midgar anymore…Maybe it's for the best." Aeris replied as she scratched her head.

"…I guess this is the start of our journey…" Tifa said as she looked around at the rest of the group. "There's no turning back now…"

"We need a leader for our journey." Barret informed the group. "'Course that should be me."

"You think so?" Tifa asked skeptically as she arched an eyebrow.

"I think it should be Cloud." Aeris stated firmly as she looked around the group and smiled at the nods of approval she received from both Tifa and Red. Cloud was caught off guard by her nomination and was even more surprised that the rest of the group seemed to support it. Did they really view him as leader material?

"Fuck…alright!" Barret sighed in disappointment. "Okay, Mr. Leader…what's the plan?"

"Well…" Cloud began as he looked down at the still unconscious woman in his arms. "We need to get Lightning somewhere so she can rest and hopefully recover from all of this. She's pretty sick. I think she may be suffering from mako poisoning."

"Mako poisoning?" Tifa gasped with a look of horror that was reflected on the other's faces as well. "That's awful. Why would you think that?"

"Her eyes…they had the glow…" Cloud informed them. "…and she wasn't able to move her body…and well…you'd just have to be exposed to mako to understand what it does to you initially."

"Awright," Barret sighed as he looked at Lightning sympathetically. "Spiky's right. The closest town is Kalm in the Northeast. We should head there and let Pinky recover while we figure out what our next moves gonna be. Let's move out!" he ordered before turning to Cloud. "Yo, you want me to carry her for a while?"

"No, I've got it." Cloud responded as he adjusted her weight and began walking. He appreciated the offer, but the truth of the matter was that he didn't feel right passing her to anyone else. He felt so much guilt over what had happened to her inside Shinra Headquarteres, and like Aeris, he didn't want to let her out of his sight again out of fear that something else might happen to her. Also, the physical strain that carrying her was placing on his body proved to be an effective distraction from something else that he was dreading. He knew that it would inevitably have to happen, and that knowledge seemed to only make him more anxious about facing it. As if Lightning hadn't been through enough already, he would be tasked with breaking her heart as soon as she woke up. He knew that when she finally did come around again, he would have no choice but to tell her the truth about Sector 7, AVALANCHE, and Jessie's death.

* * *

 **A/N: I've struggled so much with this chapter…so much that it isn't even funny. I just want to thank my good buddy The Sorrowful Deity for hanging in there with me, and listening to me rant about it for like two weeks. You're awesome, but I'm sure you already knew that! ;) I was really excited to write this chapter, but as I got started I realized that it was going to be more challenging than I thought. While I enjoyed this part of Shinra HQ much more than the first part, there were things about this section that I had issues with in the game and even bigger issues with while trying to novelize it. For example, the elevator fight. Cool in theory. But let's be serious: A) How do you fight a tank? Answer: You don't. B) How did said tank get into the elevator in the first place? Answer: It didn't. The second thing I have an issue with was the Rufus fight. You can't fight a man with a shotgun. Well you can, but you're going to lose. This didn't bother me as much as the other stuff…I'm just thankful that he brought his dog along for the fight. Third, the motorcycle fight. Not the fight itself, but more along the lines of 'where the hell did Cloud manage to find a motorcycle in the middle of an office building'? I could see if he had randomly found it in the garage when they were running out, but he literally rolled down the steps with it. Mmmkay? Fourth peeve: the last boss at the end of the highway. Another effin' tank! Seriously?! Once again, you can't fight a tank! Okay…rant over. (Can you all tell that I've worked 60 hours this week? I'm feeling pretty feisty right now! XD)**

 **I hope you all don't mind that I tweaked around the dialogue a bit. I personally find that in this particular part of the game the dialogue is either really messed up or a lot of the content and emotions were lost through poorly translated dialogue. I will continue to do this in the future as well if I see anything that I don't like. Did you all notice that I switched to someone else's perspective during this chapter? Up until this point, I've only written from Light or Cloud, but this time around I threw Aeris into the mix. Originally, I was planning to skip the elevator fight and keep things going from Cloud's perspective, but I didn't have an explanation for where he found a motorcycle and I couldn't switch to Light because she was unconscious. So instead, I chose to follow the game and switch to Aeris and had him just show up on it.**

 **On a positive note: I am truly overwhelmed by the amount of support that I still continue to receive for this story. Thank you so much to all of the readers, to all those who have followed / favorited, and to all those who have reviewed. I'm not going to shout out all the reviewers this time...you know who you are…and I love you all! Speaking of reviews, don't forget to feed Ochu. It's been two weeks since my last update and he's starting to feel neglected. Think we can get the total review count over 100? ;)**

 **I apologize if I seemed overly cranky in my notes. 60 hour work weeks, stress, and a lack of sleep will do that to you. On the plus side, once I finish my final tonight I will be officially done with college! :)**

 **Have a great night (or day)!**

 **-Lady A**

 **P.S: I will probably be taking a short hiatus from writing for the remainder of December and until I finish XV. When I come back, we will be covering Kalm, the Sephiroth flashback, Lightning's recovery, and of course the thing that Cloud is dreading: telling Light about Jessie. Expect lots of emotion in the next chapter (Yay! I love writing emotion!) I'm just happy that Midgar is finally done and Light can recover and be a bad-ass again!  
**

 **If I don't see you all again this month…Happy Holidays, and see you in January!**


	15. Chapter 14: What Doesn't Kill You

Chapter 14 – What Doesn't Kill You

 _Don't forget me…Remember me, and we'll see each other again….Promise me, Lightning. Promise that you'll remember me._

A sudden cold chill running through her body pulled Lightning back into consciousness and she opened her eyes to pitch darkness. As she looked around in confusion, she realized that she couldn't make out a single detail of her surroundings other than the softness of the bed in which she lay. She felt relatively safe here, but every instinct in her body begged her to get up; to run while she had the chance. Her head, however, still ached painfully and her body felt as if she had been trampled by a stampede of chocobos. She quickly realized that even if she wanted to run, her body would more than likely not comply, so she was forced to lay there with nothing to do but analyze the words that had been spoken to her.

 _It was only a dream,_ she reasoned as she tried to force away the familiar voice and the plea that was still bouncing around in her head. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes once again which seemed to help alleviate her worsening headache.

She could have easily fallen back asleep, but an unexpected, cold hand touching her arm caused her eyes to shoot open in panic, and her heart began to pound furiously in her chest. Using every ounce of strength she could muster, she willed her body into flight mode, and was pleased to discover that her achy muscles responded to her request to retract from the touch. She quickly pushed herself upright, causing something cold and wet to fall onto her lap, and scooted back defensively against the headboard of the bed.

 _Please, not again!_

"Whoa! It's okay. Calm down, it's just me!" a female voice whispered through the darkness.

"A-Aeris?" Lightning gasped as she strained her eyes to see the figure speaking to her.

"Yeah, it's me," she confirmed, as she struck a match and lit a small candle on the bedside table, which illuminated the room in a soft orange glow. Aeris gave her a warm smile before sitting down on the bed beside her and retrieving the wet washcloth from her lap. "You should probably lay down and put this back on your head. You're still running a pretty high fever."

"I…what?" Lightning asked in confusion as she looked from Aeris to the washcloth and back again. "…Fever?"

"You've been really sick," Aeris said as she looked at her through worried eyes. "To be honest, we weren't sure if you were gonna make it."

"What?" Lightning asked as she tried to shake away the fogginess that seemed to have consumed her brain in an attempt to process the situation. "…where am I?"

"We're in Kalm," Aeris replied. "We've been here for a couple of days now."

Lightning turned her head to survey her surroundings, noticing for the first time since waking that the two of them were not alone in the small room. It was hard to imagine how she had managed to miss the loud rumbling of snoring, but as she followed the sound, she easily identified the culprit as Barret, fast asleep in a bed next to the window. Beside him, Tifa was curled up in a ball on her own bed with her pillow partially covering her head in a sure attempt to drown out the sound of Barret's snores. The bed between Lightning and Tifa's was vacant, so it was easy to deduce that it belonged to Aeris. Her eyes fell on a large dog like creature that was curled up on the floor across from her bed, and she was just about to open her mouth to demand an explanation, but Aeris cut her off.

"He hasn't left, you know." she giggled.

"Hmm?" Lightning asked as she returned her gaze to the brunette.

"Cloud," Aeris clarified with a grin as she turned her head and nodded toward the sleeping blonde on the bed behind her. "He hasn't left your side since we got here."

 _Why,_ Lightning had wanted to ask, but the words seemed to die in her throat as she looked at the man on the neighboring bed. As her eyes fell on his face, she was flooded with the painful memories of her time in captivity- the scientist and the excruciatingly painful things he did to her, and the vivid dreams and hallucinations that happened in tandem. She was unsure what exactly that scientist had done to her or what her dreams meant, if anything at all, but she was certain of one thing: Cloud had come for her and he had somehow gotten her out of there.

"Wha…what happened to me?" Lightning whispered almost inaudibly as she broke her gaze away from the blond and looked down at her still heavily bruised arms.

"It's hard to say for sure," Aeris replied as she continued to stare at Lightning, as if she were an injured puppy. "Cloud found you in Hojo's laboratory on the 67th floor of the Shinra headquarters. Do you remember anything at all?"

 _Yes. I remember everything…every painful detail…he made sure of that._

"Not really," Lightning lied hoping that she wouldn't have to relive her painful memories of her time in captivity. To be honest, that was a part of her life that she hoped to never have to recall again.

"Hmm," Aeris responded with a skeptical look. It was easy to tell that Aeris wasn't convinced, but to Lightning's relief, she didn't press. "Well, you should probably get some rest," she said soothingly as she placed the back of her hand to Lightning's forehead. "Light, you're still burning up. Please lay down and put this back on," she pleaded as she extended her hand with the cold, damp washcloth.

"Yes, Doctor Aeris," Lightning replied sarcastically as she took the cloth and settled back into the bed.

"If you need anything at all, I'm right here," Aeris assured as she blew out the candle and returned to her own bed. "Goodnight, Lightning."

"Night," Lightning whispered back as she turned her head to watch the glowing wick of the candle fade to black. While her body seemed to be demanding sleep, she knew that her mind wouldn't be so quick to give in. She continued to stare into the darkness for several hours reflecting on the past few days, but as she replayed the events in her head and tried to piece together her fragmented memories, she was left with more questions than answers. Why had the Shinra targeted her in the first place? What exactly did Hojo do to her while she was in captivity? Why did Cloud come to rescue her, and what was he hiding that night? The more she thought about these things, the less sense any of it made. The light of a new day had begun to fill the room by the time that she finally lost the battle against her fatigue. As she finally let go and drifted off, she prayed for a dreamless sleep.

* * *

When Lightning woke next, the room was quiet and the only sound that could be heard was the ticking of a clock somewhere nearby. As she opened her eyes, she was immediately blinded by the bright sunlight that streamed through the windows. Judging from the amount of light and the warmth of the rays, she assumed that it was probably a little after midday. It seemed as though she had slept through the group waking up and departing into town, and now the room was empty save for her. The solitude was relieving, for the sole fact that she would be able to properly process and make sense of everything that had transpired without the uncomfortable stares or sympathetic gazes she would no doubt receive from the others once they had discovered she had awoken.

Her hopes of remaining alone were immediately squashed by the sudden sound of boots traveling through the hallway. The sound grew louder and louder and she prayed that whoever it was wouldn't enter the room, but to her dismay the sound died right outside the door. Lightning quickly shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep just as the door swung open and the person slowly walked in. She prayed that whoever it was wouldn't stay long once they realized that she was still asleep. It was hard to determine who the boots belonged to, but the person strode through the room and stopped right next to her bed. She could almost feel their gaze burning holes though her skin as they loomed over her, and her eyes nearly shot open in surprise when a cool hand was placed on her forehead, but she did her best to remain motionless. The hand was quickly withdrawn and replaced by a cold rag, and the person sat down on the bed beside her and sighed. Lightning remained motionless for what felt like an eternity before a voice finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

"You know, I'd feel a lot better if you'd wake up."

Lightning's heart nearly stopped in her chest when she realized that the voice belonged to Cloud. For some reason she had half expected it to be Aeris, or maybe even Tifa, but as she reflected back to Aeris' words the night before, his presence suddenly made sense.

 _He hasn't left, you know_ , Aeris had giggled as if she had found something amusing, but _what_ exactly had been completely lost on Lightning. Cloud's presence by her side did nothing but add to the ever growing list of questions that was building in her mind. The man didn't seem to care about anything at all, so why he had rescued her and then remained by her side all this time was a complete mystery…but there had to be a reason; some unknown motivation behind Cloud's odd behavior.

As she thought back to that night when he had rescued her from the Shinra Headquarters, he had acted odd then too and he was definitely hiding something from her; she could see it in his eyes. It didn't make sense at the time, but the image of his face that night would be forever etched into her mind. Those eyes…there had been so much pain, sadness, confusion, and even anger behind those deep blue eyes. He definitely knew something, and had been withholding information from her; she was certain of that, and the more she thought about it, the sillier she felt for pretending to be asleep. Perhaps Cloud had all of the answers that she was looking for?

As she lay frozen to the spot, thinking things over and searching for the perfect opportunity to 'wake up', she noticed that a clicking sound had replaced the silence. It sounded as if Cloud had begun fidgeting with something, and for some reason the sound seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite figure out why. She lay there for a few minutes trying to trace where she had heard the sound before realization hit her like a freight train.

 _My knife!_

No sooner had the thought passed through her mind, her eyes shot open and in the direction of the noise. Cloud sat on his bed with his back against the wall and the object of her thoughts clutched tightly in his hands. He seemed to be lost in thought as he mindlessly stared at the knife and repeatedly opened and closed it. Something was wrong; she could feel it in her gut. She had given that knife to Jessie when they had separated at the reactor, but now it was in Cloud's possession. Why did he have that knife?

Without another thought, Lightning bolted upright in bed causing the rag to once again fall onto her lap and stared at the blonde questioningly. She hadn't really considered what she was planning to say to him, but her sudden movement caused him to drop the knife in surprise as his eyes shot upward to meet her hard gaze.

"Lightning!" he gasped as he sat up and hastily moved toward her. "Are you okay?"

"The knife," she rasped painfully, noticing for the first time how raw her throat felt. "Why do you have that?"

"The what?" Cloud asked in bewilderment before realizing what Lightning had been referring to. "Oh…this," he nearly whispered as he looked down at the knife that lay open on the bed beside him. Folding his fingers around the handle, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, squeezing the handle so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Why do you have that?" Lightning repeated.

"Lightning…I…." he began as his eyes opened once more to reveal a pained look that she hadn't seen in a very long time. She had been fifteen the last time that look had been directed at her, but she would never forget the message that always followed. "…I…Jessie….she's…"

"Don't say it," Lightning cut him off angrily. "Don't you dare!"

"…Lightning…" he replied softly as he dropped the knife once more and leaned forward to place a hand on her shoulder. It was at this point that she realized that her eyes had betrayed her and now the tears were streaming freely down her face. He was giving her the look; that sympathetic look that she had despised since she was a teenager. She detested the idea of anyone seeing her like this, but for some reason she truly hated that in the one time she had cried since her mother's death, it had to be Cloud that saw her this way.

"Stop!" she shrugged his hands away. "Just stop."

Cloud backed away and Lightning could easily see the pain reflected on his face. She could tell that he wasn't the best at comforting people and she had probably hurt his feelings by rejecting his attempt, but she didn't care. She pulled her knees to her chest, buried her face, and did what she did best in situations like this: she hid and prayed that he would just go away and let her suffer alone. The two of them sat in silence for several long and agonizing minutes before Lightning felt a hand on her shoulder once more.

"Lightning?"

"Please…" she begged. "…you've done enough. Just leave me alone. Please…just go away."

"I'm sorry…" he sighed as he pulled his hand away in defeat. "…but you have a right to know what happened…Shinra targeted Sector 7 right after you were taken. Somehow they discovered the location of our base, and decided to crush the slums to ensure that AVALANCHE was destroyed. They all died trying to defend the plate...Biggs…Wedge…Jessie…I was too late to save any of them." He sat in silence for a few moments waiting for a reply, but when Lightning said nothing, he sighed again and got up from his position on the bed. "She asked me to return this to you…" he said as he placed the knife gently next to where she sat and then walked to the door. Lightning raised her head slightly to once again meet his pained expression. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her," he added solemnly before disappearing from the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Lightning sat in silence as she continued to stare at the door. Her whole world seemed to be imploding around her. Everything seemed to be going wrong since Cocoon had fallen from the sky on that fateful day- Waking up in this strange world alone with no way to get home to her family, being captured and tortured by the Shinra, the horrible dreams of her sister's death, and now the actual death of the one and only person in this world that she fully trusted and considered a part of her family. Lightning had to wonder if she had really survived the fall after all and hadn't died and gone straight to hell. She felt as if she had stared at that door for hours, and the room had begun to darken when it finally opened again and Aeris stepped inside.

"Light?" she asked softly as she walked through the room to sit next to her on the bed. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I-I'm fine," Lightning lied.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay…well I'm here, you know…if you change your mind," she added sincerely before getting up and returning to the door. She placed her hand gently on the doorknob and paused for a moment before speaking. "Hey, Light?" she began again. "I know you're hurting, but please don't blame Cloud." Aeris didn't wait for a response and immediately disappeared from the room leaving Lightning stunned in her wake.

 _Why would I blame Cloud?_ she thought as she continued to stare after the brunette. Then it hit her: The way she had reacted when he had tried to tell her about what happened…his news had crushed her and in her sadness, she had pushed him away when he was reaching out and trying to comfort her. Knowing him, he was probably blaming himself already and her reaction had most likely amplified those feelings.

 _I need to talk to him._

Lightning swung her legs over the side of the bed and for the first time noticed that she was wearing nothing but her brown cropped sweater and skirt. Looking around the room, she located the rest of her clothing stacked neatly on a nearby dresser. She stood shakily on the cold wooden floor and began moving toward her belongings. Her legs didn't seem happy about supporting her weight and each step she took sent daggers shooting through her thighs. Her muscles protested painfully as she struggled to put on her white sleeveless top coat and her fingers downright refused to fasten the buckles. Considering the jacket a lost cause, she instead slid on her boots and began to make her way toward the door. No sooner had she grabbed the knob to exit the room, the door swung open once more causing her to lose her balance and to fall forward into someone.

"Whoa!" Cloud exclaimed as she slammed painfully into his chest. "Lightning? What are you doing?"

"I-I was coming to find you," she mumbled in embarrassment as she backed away and steadied herself. "…I think we need to talk."

"You shouldn't be wandering around," he scolded as he guided her back into the room and closed the door behind them.

"Cloud," she began nervously as she turned around to look him square in the eye. She had never been good at this type of thing and somehow this conversation had seemed much easier in her head, but she pressed on, "I…I just want you to know…it wasn't your fault."

"But I…" he began, only to be quickly shut down.

"No," Lightning stated firmly. "Stop blaming yourself. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have been there….If I hadn't been…" she trailed off and her eyes fell to the floor. It was painful to even finish that thought in her head, and she had hoped to never have to relive those agonizing memories again, but there was something that she needed to know; something she knew that only Cloud could answer.

"Cloud…" she began again as she looked up to meet his deep blue gaze. "…I don't blame you, but I need you to be honest with me. I know you're still hiding something…I saw it in your eyes that night in the Shinra Headquarters, and I see it now. What are you hiding from me?" The question seemed to catch him off guard and he quickly adverted his gaze. "Please, tell me…"

Cloud stood in silence for a few moments in deep contemplation before he stepped forward and gently spun her around to lead her to a mirror on the opposite wall. Lightning gazed in confusion at the two reflections staring back at her as she wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to be looking at. Cloud looked the same as he always did, and she looked like herself too, aside from looking tired and rundown.

"Okay, I'm a mess," she grumbled irritably. "What am I supposed to be-"

The sentence never even completed itself in her mind when she took in exactly what Cloud had wanted her to see: her eyes. Her pale aqua eyes had been replaced and now unfamiliar deep blue orbs stared back at her. With Cloud standing so close behind, it was easy to see the comparison that he was trying to make. Their eyes were identical in every way from their color to their unnatural glow.

"W-What happened to my eyes?" she stammered as she rushed forward for a closer look, mentally praying that what she had seen had only been a figment of her imagination.

"You were being kept in Hojo's laboratory," Cloud explained. "You were in pretty bad shape when we found you that night; I'm honestly surprised that you're still alive. I'm not sure what exactly Hojo did to you, but when you woke up and I saw your eyes, one thing was obvious-"

"Mako," she interjected suddenly remembering what Jessie had told her about SOLDIER members and those who had been exposed to Mako. "…Does it do this to everyone?"

"People react differently to Mako," Cloud explained. "In SOLDIER, we were showered with the stuff and it was absorbed through the skin. What Hojo did to you…I've never seen this approach before. When people are exposed to too much Mako, it can really mess with them physically and mentally…It's called 'Mako Poisoning'. Some people have died from it, and others have lost their minds completely."

"Mako Poisoning…" Lightning repeated as she turned away from her unsightly reflection to face him. "How long will this last?"

"It's hard to say," Cloud replied. "Like I said…people react differently to it, but I've never seen someone respond to it quite like you have. The amount that you were exposed to should have killed you, but for some reason it didn't. At the very least, it should have affected you mentally, but you seem fine."

"I wouldn't say that…" Lightning muttered as she recalled the vivid dreams that had been plaguing her recently.

"Hmm?" Cloud asked as he looked at her questioningly.

"It's nothing," Lightning recovered. "…Why would he do this to me?"

"I honestly don't know…" he admitted. "His reasons for taking Aeris were clear, but he didn't say much about you."

"What do you mean 'his reasons for taking Aeris'!?" she demanded. "She was there too?" Lightning felt the sudden grip of nausea twisting her insides as she lightly stumbled backward into the dresser behind her.

"You really should lie back down," Cloud urged as he took a step forward in preparation to catch her if she fell.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively as she composed herself once more. "Did he...did that man…" Her voice broke and she was unable to complete the question. The very thought of sweet and innocent Aeris enduring the same torture she had was almost too much to take.

 _Why didn't she tell me?_

"No," he assured her. "They didn't hurt her."

Lightning let out a sigh of relief. It was comforting to know that Aeris hadn't been harmed, but the question of why the Shinra had targeted the flower girl was now nagging at her. She recalled that Shinra had been in the church that day when she and Cloud had fallen from the reactor and crashed through the roof. That smug man, Reno, as Cloud had called him, had come after Aeris that day. Aeris had given the impression that she didn't know why the Shinra was targeting her, but Lightning had a feeling that she knew more than she was letting on.

Reno and the Turks had also been in Don Corneo's mansion the night that she, Cloud and Aeris had raided the place, and she couldn't help but wonder if the trap she had fallen into hadn't really been meant for Aeris. No…they had been expecting her. Reno even went as far as to say so. She could still see that smug look on his face as he delivered the painful blow to her head, knocking her out. The Turks had targeted her that night, but their reasons were unclear. Was it possible that there could be a connection to the reasons they were also targeting Aeris?

"Why were the Shinra after her?" Lightning inquired. "Back at the church…Reno came to take her, and then later, on the roof she mentioned that they been following her for a while. Why is the Shinra so interested in her?"

"Aeris…is an Ancient," Cloud replied carefully.

 _A what?_

"She is the last surviving member of the Cetra," Cloud clarified, clearly taking note of her confused expression. "According to legend, the Cetra were a group of people who came to this planet thousands of years ago. It was thought that they could speak to the planet and lead the way to the Promised Land. The Promised Land is supposed to be a land of supreme happiness and full of Mako…"

"…and Shinra believes that Aeris can lead them there," Lightning interjected.

"Right," Cloud confirmed.

 _So there is no correlation between Aeris' abduction and my own_

"But there is something else I need to talk to you about," Cloud added on. "Some stuff happened that night when we went to the Shinra Headquarters looking for you and Aeris."

"What kind of stuff?"

"A man named Sephiroth came and assassinated the President," Cloud informed her.

"Good riddance," Lightning responded bitterly as she recalled their encounter with the man just before she and Cloud fell from the reactor. This horrible man had been responsible for Jessie's death and all of the other bad things that had happened to her since arriving here; not to mention the irreversible damage he had caused the planet by building those stupid Mako reactors. With him out of the picture, Shinra Inc. would more than likely collapse, and Midgar as well, as the rest of the world would be turned over to the people. The Mako reactors would more than likely be immediately shut down, and while that meant that humanity would have to try a little harder, it also meant that there would be nothing left to threaten or harm the planet; everybody wins. "The world will be a much better place without him. Maybe I should go and personally thank this 'Sephiroth'."

The look on Cloud's face at her words had her instantly wishing she could recall them. Clearly this Sephiroth character wasn't a good guy either, and judging by Cloud's reaction, he was probably far worse than the president. It was hard for Lightning to imagine the sort of person that could evoke the emotions that were now so clearly visible on Cloud's face, which ranged from anger to sadness, and even though he's never admit it: fear.

"You don't understand," Cloud replied as he did his best to control his emotions. "Sephiroth isn't a good guy. He's done horrible things."

"What kind of things?" Lightning probed.

"Sephiroth and I were in SOLDIER together," he began. "We were sent on an assignment in Nibelheim; my hometown. We'd received reports that the Mako reactor had begun malfunctioning, and it seemed to be connected with an increased number of monsters lurking around. Tifa led us up Mt. Nibel to the reactor, and Sephiroth and I went in to investigate. We were able to locate the malfunction, but also discovered something terrible…" Cloud's voice trailed off and he seemed hesitant to continue.

"What did you find?" Lightning pressed, causing him to give her that sympathetic look that she hated so much.

"Experiments…" Cloud replied in a low voice. "The reactor was filled with Hojo's experiments: real people who had been grossly disfigured and mutated by an overexposure to Mako….Lightning, I'd understand if you didn't want to hear anymore…." he added, clearly taking note of the horrified look that was plastered to her face.

 _Overexposure to Mako…was this what he was trying to do to me?_

"I'm fine," Lightning lied as she did her best to keep her face neutral and devoid of any emotion. "…keep going."

"Are you sure?" he asked as he studied her face searching for any signs of discomfort.

"I'm fine," she repeated. "Continue."

"Okay," he nodded before pressing on with his story. "Sephiroth seemed disturbed by these experiments; he became violent. We returned to Nibelheim that night, and Sephiroth confined himself to the inn; refusing to talk to anyone. The next day he was gone, and I ended up finding him in the Shinra mansion, engrossed in the research logs in the basement. He seemed confused and wasn't making any sense. He kept mentioning something called Jenova, the Ancients, and a man named Professor Gast. I didn't understand what he was rambling on about, so I decided to leave him alone. He stayed in that basement for days; hypnotized by the research logs. When I finally approached him, he seemed different; almost as if he were possessed. He informed me that Jenova was a confirmed Ancient, and how he was born of the Jenova project in an attempt to replicate the Cetra's powers. He went on about how he was an Ancient and how it was his destiny to rule this planet and find the Promised Land. I didn't really understand what he was going on about. He left me behind in the mansion, saying that he was going to see his mother; I assumed he was referring to the Jenova specimen we had seen at the reactor. I decided to follow him, but when I stepped outside of the mansion…."

He paused for a moment as a flash of pain shot through his eyes. It was easy for Lightning to see that whatever happened next had deeply hurt him.

"…When I stepped outside, the whole town was ablaze," he continued. "Sephiroth had murdered everyone, including my mother, and then set the town on fire."

"Cloud…" Lightning stepped forward and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. You don't have to finish this."

"No, you need to know," he replied, shaking his head. "I followed Sephiroth to the reactor and arrived just in time to witness him cut Tifa down. I was so blinded by my anger that I followed him into the reactor and I challenged him."

"What happened?"

"I don't remember," Cloud admitted. Lightning found it strange and even a little suspicious that Cloud would forget something as important as this, but the confused look on his face seemed to support his claim. "In terms of skill, I couldn't have killed him…" he continued more to himself than to her. "…I challenged Sephiroth and lived. Why didn't he kill me? Or Tifa…neither of us should be alive."

"Cloud?"

"Sorry…" he apologized as he quickly snapped from his thoughts. "The newspapers reported him as dead, but no one really knew for sure. That was five years ago…"

"So why was he in the Shinra building that night?" Lightning asked.

"While we were looking for you and Aeris, we discovered that they were housing the Jenova specimen on the same floor where they were holding you. They must have transferred it from Nibelheim. We were captured while trying to rescue you and locked into cells in Hojo's laboratory. When I woke up a few hours later, the doors were unlocked, everyone had been murdered, and the whole place was smeared with blood. We followed the bloody trail through the laboratory, and discovered that the Jenova specimen was missing. We continued following the trail all the way up to the top floor, and that's when we discovered the president, with Sephiroth's masamune sticking out of his back. The president's son, Rufus, showed up and started spewing a bunch of crap about how he was going to control the world with fear, but more importantly, how he was going to pursue Sephiroth and the Promised Land. I think Sephiroth was there to get Jenova that night, and I think he is seeking the Promised Land once again." He paused for a second and took a deep breath before continuing. "Look...Lightning…I-uh need to talk to you about something."

Cloud quickly averted his gaze to stare at the floor in deep contemplation. The internal battle that reflected so clearly on his face made it seem as if he were trying to either talk himself into or out of something important. Whatever the case, it was easy to see that whatever he was getting ready to say was extremely difficult for him as he seemed to be struggling to find the right words.

"What is it?" she inquired causing him to look up once more with renewed confidence.

"We're going after Sephiroth," he informed her. "If he's really in search of the Promised Land, we can't let him find it. We have to stop whatever he's planning. Lightning…we're leaving first thing in the morning…and I think it would be best…if you stayed here."

"What!?" she demanded angrily.

"It'll be dangerous, and I-"

"But not too dangerous for Tifa and Aeris, right?" she shot back.

"Tifa and Aeris aren't recovering from Mako poisoning," he countered as he struggled to keep his voice even and devoid of emotion. "Please try to understand…you're sick and you aren't up for this yet. It'll be dangerous. How it ends will be anyone's guess, and I don't want to see you get hurt. I paid the inn keeper off. You can stay for the rest of the month or until-"

"I'm not staying," she stated firmly as she crossed her arms stubbornly.

 _This is ridiculous,_ she thought angrily. _After all we've been through, he's really trying to leave me behind?_

No. Her mind was made up. She had too many reasons to go and not a single reason to stay. The way she understood the situation, both Sephiroth and the Shinra were in search of the Promised Land, and Sephiroth stood the best chance at actually finding it. The Shinra more than likely knew this, and would be following him as well. If she decided to tag along with Cloud and the others, their path would no doubt lead her to those responsible for Jessie's death, and they needed to pay for what they had done. Plus, Cloud and the others were her friends. They had all looked out for her at some point and Cloud had risked his own life several times to save her skin; hell the man had taken on all of Shinra to rescue her from Hojo. She had a reason to keep them all safe, but it was to Cloud that she owed a serious debt.

"Lightning, this isn't negotiable," he argued. "We're leaving in the morning, and you're staying here."

"I'm not," she shook her head defiantly.

"Lightning, listen-"

"No, you listen!" she shot back angrily. "You can't make me stay here, Cloud. I'm not some little kid that needs your protection; I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. What I do and where I go is not your choice to make; it's mine. If you all try to leave me behind, I'll follow you. I don't need you to protect me, but since you seem to be overly concerned about my well-being, consider this: wouldn't it make more sense to allow me to tag along where you can keep an eye on me versus me trailing behind on my own?"

Lightning could tell her words had done their job because Cloud seemed speechless as he stood there staring at her with a mixture of frustration and annoyance behind those cerulean eyes. She could practically see the wheels turning in his head trying to work out what she had just said as the two of them engaged in what seemed like the world's longest staring contest.

"Fine, do what you want," he huffed in defeat as he broke eye contact and marched toward the door. "We leave at eight AM sharp," he added with a quick glance over his shoulder before slamming the door behind him and stomping loudly through the hallway and down the stairs.

Lightning let out a heavy sigh of exasperation as she crossed the room and sat down on her bed. That conversation could have gone much better. She hated that Cloud was angry with her, but he had no right to try to make her stay behind. Regardless of whether or not his intentions had been aimed to keep her safe, this was not his nor anyone else's decision to make; it was hers and hers alone.

While a part of her secretly wished that Cloud would come bursting back through the door so they could work things out, another side of her was glad he was gone. As much as she wanted to patch things up, she needed time to process everything he had just told her. As she stared at the door, something gleaming caught her eye and she looked down to where her knife lay on the bed. Picking it up, she flipped open the blade and clutched it tightly in her hand. As she stared at the blade, she could feel the tears beginning to well up once more as the dream she had awoken to overnight suddenly made sense. She knew the voice had sounded familiar, and now she understood why.

 _The Shinra will pay for what they've done to you,'_ she resolved. _I promise your death will not have been in vain. I'll finish what you started; I'll save this planet. I'll never forget you, Jessie. I promise…_

* * *

 **A/N: I'm baaacckk! Sorry I've been away for so long, but in my defense: I did warn you all. I promised that I'd return in January, but I've been working my booty off trying to get this to you all a day early. I'm happy to report that work has finally begun to slow down, and I will be returning to my regular position next week. I'm also happy to announce that I am now a college graduate, and finished with a 4.0 gpa. :) With my work hours returning to normal and schoolwork not consuming most of my free time, I should have more time to dedicate to my writing.**

 **I would like to give a huge shout out and my eternal gratitude to Wolf for spending so much of his time beta reading this. I am in no way a Final Fantasy VII expert, so it's nice to have someone who is standing behind me and making sure I don't royally fuck something up. I also appreciate that he's kicking my ass and helping me shake the rust (and laziness) from of my writing. Thank you so much, my friend :)**

 **I'd like to thank all of my reviewers, new and old. It makes me happy to know that there is still a lot of interest in the story even when I'm away for a while. Thanks to my 'small council' of advisors (you know who you are lol) for helping me work through a few plot details and getting things all sorted out long term.**

 **Thanks for reading. I really hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you didn't find it to be too boring. I know that it was mostly dialogue, and I apologize for the lack of action. If you haven't already, please take a moment to follow / favorite the story, and please take a few minutes to feed Ochu. He hasn't been properly fed in a while now, and if he doesn't get his fill of reviews soon, I'm afraid that he may get angry with me. We all know that an encounter with an angry Ochu never ends well lol.**

 **Thanks again for all of your support…I love you all :)**

 **Happy New Year, and stay safe tonight.**

 **Lady A**


	16. Chapter 15: Unbreakable Bonds

Chapter 15 – Unbreakable Bonds

Lightning stepped through the door onto the abandoned streets of Kalm. The air was cold, and not a sound could be heard throughout the small, old fashioned town. The clock above the tiny commercial strip read 07:00; hopefully the sun would be rising soon. As she slowly walked through the town, she couldn't help but admire its simplicity. Places like this didn't exist on Cocoon; everything had been large-scale and for the most part, artificial. Her first taste of this strange new world had been Midgar, and after spending so much time there, she had almost forgotten that there was a world outside of those thick concrete walls.

Taking a deep breath, she filled her lungs with fresh air. Although she could still see Midgar's sky glow in the distance, the air was so much cleaner here. From the very first moment she had opened her eyes on this planet, all she had known had been death - The forsaken beach, the wasteland surrounding Midgar, and finally Midgar at the epicenter; all serving as proof of the Mako reactor's negative impact on the planet. It felt surreal to be surrounded by so much life after spending weeks in the city surrounded by nothing but concrete, garbage, and pollution. She could see endless plains of grass off in the distance, she could hear the sound of birds singing a sweet morning tune, and she could smell the salty sea somewhere nearby. If she closed her eyes for just a moment, it almost felt as if she were home; standing on the streets of Bodhum.

"Good mornin', miss," a bald elderly man called out as she walked through the doors to one of the shops. "What can I help ya with?"

"Just shopping for a few supplies," Lightning replied as she casually walked up to the counter to see what sort of items the shop sold.

"Well, we've got all the items you'll be needin'. Just look around and give me a holler if you see anything!"

Lightning smiled politely at the man before turning to survey the stuff for sale. The items in this shop seemed pretty basic, but she was pleasantly surprised to discover that they seemed to be nearly identical to many of the restorative items back on Cocoon. Opening up her thigh pouch she pulled out and counted the gil Jessie had given her after their last mission to Reactor no. 1.

 _3,000 gil._

"I'll take a potion and an antidote," Lightning informed the shopkeeper as she counted out the required 120 gil.

"Here, take two," the man smiled as he passed her the antidote and two potions. "You look like you've had a rough time out there. Make sure you're taking care of yourself, ya hear?"

"Thanks," she nodded as she pocketed the items and headed for the exit.

 _Weapons and Materia,_ Lightning read on the door of the next building before pushing it open and stepping inside.

"Good morning," a friendly looking woman called out from behind the counter. "If you're looking for weapons or armor, Joe can help you out," she explained as she nodded toward a man on the other side of the room who looked up from his morning paper to give her a quick wave.

"I'm actually okay on weapons and armor," Lightning answered as she lowered her hand to rest it on the handle of her trusty gunblade. She had woken this morning to discover it at the foot of her bed. Cloud must have put it there while she slept. She'd completely forgotten that she had given it to him to hold back at Don Corneo's the night she'd been taken, and she was met with a mixture of surprise and relief when it reappeared on her bed this morning. She was more than capable of defending herself without it, but there was just something comforting about having it nearby. "I'll have a look at that materia though," she added as she walked across the room to gaze at the glowing orbs displayed under the glass counter.

 _What do these different colors mean again?_

"Do you need help selecting one?" the woman questioned as she studied Lightning's confused expression. "How about an Earth?" she asked as she selected a green orb and then held it out for Lightning to inspect. Lightning took the materia in her hand and waited to feel the surge of power to course through her like before, but it never came. Now that she thought about it, even as a l'Cie, the only magic that she truly excelled in was her namesake: lightning. Unfortunately, the lightning materia that Cloud had given her back in Midgar had vanished from her belongings, so it was safe to assume that the Shinra had confiscated it.

"I don't think so," she replied as she handed the materia back to the shop keeper. "Wouldn't suppose you'd have a lightning materia?"

"Afraid not," the woman apologized. "Just sold the last one yesterday."

"A restore?" Lightning asked hopefully. Restorative spells hadn't been her forte either, but she was at least functional with them. She was unsure what to expect from this long journey to find the psychopath, but she wanted to be prepared for anything that came her way. No more relying on Cloud.

"Nope," the woman sighed. "But I do have a heal materia, if you're interested. It's a handy one to have around for status ailments. You know, you look like you're recovering from something nasty bout of something yourself…this might help you out a bit."

 _I seriously doubt it, but it probably wouldn't hurt to have it handy just in case something else happens down the road._

"How much?" Lightning inquired.

"Well, it typically sells for 1,500 gil," the shopkeeper began. "But for you, I'll discount it to 1,000."

"Deal," Lightning agreed as she counted out the notes and passed them over.

"So…if you don't mind my asking…what happened to you out there?" the woman asked as she retrieved the materia from underneath the glass countertop and passed it over to Lightning. "It looks like you tangled with something nasty."

"Nothing," Lightning responded defensively. "I'm just getting over a nasty cold."

"Hmm…" the woman acknowledged as she looked her over critically, clearly taking in her run down appearance and the bruises that covered her arms. "You know, I've never seen a gal with pink hair before. Where are you from anyway?"

"Nibelheim," Lightning hastily replied, naming the first place that popped into her head. "And I dye it."

"Hmm…you kids have some crazy trends," the woman chuckled, seemingly satisfied with the answer she was given. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you," Lightning replied gratefully as she pocketed the materia and exited the shop.

 _Phew, that was a close one,_ she thought as she descended the stairs on her way back to the inn. _Maybe I should have brought some armor to cover up some of these damn bruises…_

"Ay, Pinky!" Barret called as soon as she came within view of the inn. "Where ya been? We thought you left without us."

"Sorry," she apologized. "Had some shopping to do. Are we ready to go?" she asked as the others began emerging from the inn.

"Just about," Barret responded. "Just waitin' on Cloud's spikey ass to-"

"What the hell is that thing?" Lightning exclaimed as a dog like creature trotted out behind Aeris. She had seen it before; that night when she had first awoken, but she had summed it up to a silly dream or a hallucination caused by the Mako poisoning. Was this animal now a part of the group? Had they somehow tamed a wild beast and were now keeping it as a pet?

"I am called Red XIII…" the creature replied politely. "…and I am what you see."

"It talked?" she gasped as looked around at the others for confirmation that she wasn't going mad.

"Indeed," the beast confirmed as he stared at her with his singular amber eye.

"Red's been traveling with us," Aeris informed her. "He was being held captive in Hojo's laboratory too, and he helped us get you out of there."

"Let's go," Cloud interrupted as he stomped through the door and began walking toward the town's entrance without a single glance at Lightning.

 _Must still be mad about last night,_ she thought as she watched him walk further and further ahead. Tifa and Aeris ran to catch up with the blonde, leaving Lightning behind with Barret and the creature called Red.

"You doin' awright, Pinky?" Barret asked as he looked down at her.

"I'm fine."

"Look…I jus' want you to know that I'm sorry for draggin' you into all this," he apologized. "…and I'm sorry about Jess. I know you must be takin' it pretty hard. She was important to me too; we been friend's as long as I can remember…"

"I said I'm fine," Lightning grumbled as she walked faster to put some distance between herself and the dark skinned man. The last thing she wanted was to get into a conversation with him of all people about Jessie. Not today…

* * *

It felt as if the six of them had been walking for days, and the journey was already beginning to take its toll on Lightning. She knew now that Cloud had been right when he said that she wasn't ready for this, but of course, she would never admit that to him. She had begun to trail behind the group a bit, but continued to push herself on and on. She would have given just about anything for a break, but she refused to give in and let the others see her weakness.

 _Never again…_

A few of the others had attempted to make small talk with her, but she saw it for what it really was: an excuse to ask her how she was doing. Small talk had always irritated her, and this time was no exception. She always ended the conversation with the same answer of 'I'm fine', and for a while, they believed her and left her alone. Cloud, however, still hadn't shot as much as a glance in her direction since they had departed from Kalm, and she was glad of that. He had a talent for seeing right through her act, and she hated that about him.

"Are those chocobos?" Aeris squealed as they stared down at a farm in the valley below. "Can we go there?"

 _Chocobos?_

"It would be wise to stop," Red advised. "We might find some useful information about the terrain up ahead…and I believe that Lightning would benefit from a break."

"I'm fine!" she snapped for what felt like the thousandth time since they had begun walking. It was true though; her body was begging for rest, but her mind kept urging her to continue. Regardless of how tired she was, she wouldn't give Cloud the satisfaction of being right.

"We'll stop," Cloud announced to the group as he began walking down the slope toward the farm.

The farm only consisted of two structures: a small house and an old wooden barn; and in front of the buildings was a wooden pen that held five fully grown chocobos. The group agreed that it was best to not stay longer than necessary, so they decided to split up to seek out the information they needed. Tifa and Aeris immediately set off toward the house, while Cloud and Barret took off toward the stables, leaving Lightning all alone in front of the chocobo pen. Sighing heavily, she walked over to the fence and began stroking one of the large birds.

"Warrk!" the bird chirped as it bowed to rest its head on Lightning's shoulder.

"Hey buddy…" she muttered as she ran her fingers through the bird's soft yellow feathers.

"Wark," the bird cooed in response.

"I'm kind of having a rough time," she confided. "I think Cloud was right. Maybe I don't have what it takes to be here…but there's nowhere for me in this world…so where am I supposed to go?"

"Wark…wark…" the bird replied softly, as if it understood everything she was saying.

"I don't know what to do…" she continued. "…should I leave? They'd probably be better off if I did. I'm just slowing everyone down…well…what do you think I should do?" she asked the chocobo as she backed away and gazed at it as if she were expecting an answer.

 _I have truly lost my mind_ , she realized as she continued to stare at the bird. _Asking a chocobo for advice…_

The creature looked at her almost sympathetically for several long moments as if it were staring into the very depths of her soul, and then suddenly it began to glow a bright shade of yellow. She was certain that she was hallucinating again, and the glowing chocobo standing in front of her did nothing but confirm her worst fear: the fever along with baking in the hot sun all day had finally caused her to lose it. She brought her hands up to rub her eyes, and as she lowered them the bird nudged them lightly before dropping something red into her hand. With one last wark, it nipped her cheek affectionately before turning and sprinting off to join the rest of the flock.

"I believe you have your answer," a voice spoke up from behind, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

 _Red!_ she thought as she quickly spun around and locked eyes with the beast who was sat casually next to a nearby tree. _Did he hear everything?_

"W-What do you mean?" she asked.

"You asked the chocobo for advice…" Red clarified. "…and he gave it to you."

"Huh?" she questioned, just as she remembered the red object the chocobo had dropped in her hand. Looking down, she discovered that she was holding a small, red orb; materia. "What is this?"

"Strength," Red responded as he continued to stare at her through his amber eye. "You asked the bird for advice and he answered you. He thinks you should continue…and to help you succeed, he gave you a gift; the summon materia you now hold in your hand."

"Summon materia?" Lightning questioned as she held the red orb up for closer inspection. "How do you use it?"

"I believe you already know the answer to that question," Red replied. "You've created an unbreakable bond, so he will always come when you need him. He will be your strength when you are at your weakest and your light when your world is at its darkest."

Lightning continued to gape at the beast in front of her. He was a scary sight to behold, but the creature seemed to be very perceptive and possessed a high level of intelligence. He seemed to be someone who she could count on to give sound advice and an honest answer, so she asked him the same question she had previously asked the chocobo.

"Do you think I should keep going?"

"What I think is not important," he responded. "What is important is what you feel is right. You have many reasons to be here; some are good and some are not. I will warn you though: revenge will lead you down a path of darkness…do not let it consume you," he added as he stood and began walking toward the barn before pausing once more. "…Cloud only behaves the way he does because he cares. He does not wish to see you hurt."

"How do you know?"

"Miss, I may only have one eye, but I am most certainly not blind."

* * *

"Yo! You sure this's the only way?" Barret asked as he nervously stared at the three chocobos they had managed to catch after leaving the ranch.

"You heard the man," Tifa responded as she looked up at the birds with an equal amount of uncertainty. "Chocobo Bill said that a man matching Sephiroth's appearance traveled to the west, through the marshes. This is the only way to safely follow him, unless we want to take our chances with the giant snake."

 _The Midgar Zolom,_ Lightning thought. _Is that even a real thing, or something that the locals made up to scare the children away from the marshes?_ She had seen a lot of wild and crazy things during her time traveling through Pulse as a l'Cie, but never once had she laid eyes upon a thirty foot snake. It almost seemed too farfetched to be real…but then again, so were demi-gods and floating paradises.

"How we gonna do this?" Barret questioned. "There's only three birds and six of us…"

"Five," Red corrected. "I will not require an escort across the marsh. The Zolom is only attracted by the smell of humans."

"Five then," Barret agreed. "Still…not enough for us all to have our own. Looks like a few of us are gonna have'ta pair up, an' seein' as I'm the biggest, I should get my own."

"I wanna ride with Tifa!" Aeris squealed excitedly as she rushed forward to grab the martial artist by the arm. Tifa looked slightly confused by Aeris' forwardness, but made no objection.

"Okay…that's one bird for me, one for Tifa and Aeris, and one for Spikey and Pinky." Barret concluded as hopped up onto his chocobo and then looked around at the group. "We all good with this?" he asked as his gaze danced between Lightning and Cloud as if he expected them to object.

"We're good," Tifa nodded as she hopped onto the back of her chocobo, and then reached down to pull Aeris up.

Cloud didn't say a word and instead proceeded to climb aboard the remaining chocobo, and then looked down at Lightning and offered his hand. It was the first time he had looked at her all day, and for some reason those deep blue eyes finally being aimed in her direction ignited a fire within her. Ignoring his gesture completely, she mustered every ounce of strength she had to climb aboard herself.

 _I don't need his help,_ she thought as she intentionally put a bit of space between herself and the man in front of her, while absolutely refusing to wrap her arms around him. _I can do this on my own._

The trip through the marsh turned out to be a tougher ride than she had anticipated. There was no sign of the 'Legendary Midgar Zolom', but the ride itself was proving to be quite a challenge. The chocobos were making it through the muck, but kept losing their footing as the mud beneath their feet slid away. Staying aboard the chocobo was becoming increasingly difficult the further into the marsh they traveled, and Lightning feared that their chocobo would soon eject them into the marsh if she accidentally pulled another feather from its back.

"Quit being stubborn and hold on to me before you fall off," Cloud muttered quietly so that only she could hear.

"I'm fine," she responded icily as she tightened her grip on the bird's feathers. "I don't need your help."

"I know you don't," he replied. "But if you fall, this could get messy for all of us. So please, just humor me."

As much as she hated to admit it, he had a point. While they were atop the chocobos, the group wasn't in any danger, but if one of them should fall, or if someone were to be bucked off, it would put the entire group in jeopardy. Her own safety was of little concern to her, but she hated the possibility of putting any of the others in danger. They had all looked out for her in some way or another over the past few days, and attracting a thirty foot, and most likely poisonous, snake seemed like a poor way to repay them.

"Fine," she agreed as she released her tight hold on the chocobo's feathers and nervously inched forward. She felt awkward; it occurred to her in this very moment that she had never ridden like this with someone before. Back on Cocoon, chocobos could only be found and ridden recreationally in Nautilus - a place she had never been. She had promised to take Serah right after their mother died, but that promise was soon forgotten as she sank deeper into her military career. As l'Cie, she and her friends had encountered plenty of wild chocobos on Pulse, but she never was never forced to partner up with anyone. The chocobos seemed to be attracted to Sazh and his chocobo chick, so there was never a shortage of feathery friends when they were needed. She had occasionally operated hover bikes and velocycles when she was in the Corps, but neither of those vehicles had been very roomy. That and the fact that they were not in short supply meant that she had never been forced to share on the rare occasion that she borrowed one.

Lightning quickly realized that her nerves had gotten the better of her and her heart had begun thumping rapidly in her chest, and as she leaned forward to wrap her arms around Cloud's waist, she prayed that he wouldn't notice. Admittedly, the ride was much easier this way and she felt much more secure holding onto Cloud than she had holding onto the side of the chocobo. While her brain labeled the situation as weird, her body found an overpowering sense of comfort in it. This was the first time she had ever been this close to another human being aside from her family, and it was hard for her to determine if it was the feeling of closeness to another person that she liked, or if it was the closeness to Cloud specifically.

Letting out a soft snort, she rebuked herself for the foolish thought and quickly dismissed it from her head. Those two ideas were equally ludicrous. She'd never had an interest in being close to someone before, or even interacting with anyone that she didn't absolutely have to, for that matter. And Cloud…well that idea was just absurd. Granted they had been through a lot in the short amount time she had been on this planet, the man was still a stranger to her.

The end was finally in sight. The mountain they had been traveling toward now towered above them and the marsh ended ahead at a narrow opening that was surrounded by green grass. The others, who had been quite a bit ahead, had already reached their destination, and were now dismounting their chocobos.

"Warrrrk!" the chocobo cried beneath them as his foot sank deeply into the mud, throwing him off balance. The bird began to panic and flap his wings frantically as he tried unsuccessfully to free his foot from the muck, while threatening to toss the both of them into the perilous mud below.

"Whoa!" Cloud called out as he used one hand to tighten his grip around the bird's neck while the other found its way to Lightning's to ensure she stayed aboard. "Easy…" he soothed as the bird continued to fight against the mud beneath them. The bird quickly calmed down under Cloud's command and in no time managed to pull its foot free. Lightning couldn't help but feel impressed by his skill in handling this situation and soothing the bird.

"You okay?" he asked with a quick glance over his shoulder just as the chocobo stepped onto the grassy patch.

"I'm fine," she responded as she attempted to loosen her grip while quickly realizing that Cloud's hand was still covering her own. She found it strange that he hadn't let go yet, but not as strange as the fact that her arms seemed to be reacting to his touch as the hair stood on end.

 _What the…?_

"Y'all awright?" Barret called out as they came to a halt. "We thought that bird was gonna chuck you two off."

"We're okay," Lightning nodded as she pulled her hands free and slid down from the chocobo. She was quickly followed by Cloud who gave the bird an appreciative pat on the head, before rewarded it with the remaining gysahl greens.

"Let's get going," Cloud commanded as he took the lead and began walking toward the opening in the side of the mountain.

"I'm glad you're okay," Aeris smiled at Lightning as the group trailed behind the blonde into the narrow passage. "I was afraid you two were going to be snake food, and…"

"I think we would have been fine," Cloud interjected as he suddenly stopped in his tracks at the end of the passage. As she looked up, Lightning could easily see what had caught his attention. In the small opening, a very large snake had been left on display. A tree had been used to penetrate its head and body, and it now stood looking like a giant kebab.

"What the hell…?" Lightning gasped as her eyes widened in horror, while Aeris let out a muffled squeak from beside her.

 _The Midgar Zolom._

A shiver ran down Lightning's spine as she stared at the giant snake hovering above her. Could this possibly be the work of Sephiroth? She had no idea what the man looked like, but it scared her to imagine the sort of person who was capable of doing something like this single handedly. This wasn't something that a normal human would be capable of. She wasn't even sure if this was something that a l'Cie could have done on their own.

"What sort of person could do this?" she wondered aloud as she continued to stare at the snake as if she were in a trance.

"It's a power we should respect," Red spoke up from behind, causing her to break her gaze away from the snake. "This appears to have been done recently. Perhaps the person responsible is still inside the cave?"

Cloud didn't need to be told twice as he quickly set off past the giant snake and into the cave in hot pursuit of the culprit. As Lightning and the others stepped into the cave behind him, they were immediately met with a fork in the road. Looking around, it was easy to tell by the unnaturally carved tunnels that this was some sort of mine, although it was difficult for Lightning to determine what exactly was being mined here. Cloud stood in silent contemplation for a moment before setting off down the left and more dangerous looking path, which took them around a very high and narrow ledge. As they rounded the corner, they quickly discovered that their path led to a dead end.

"Hmm, that might come in handy," Tifa observed as she picked up a tent that had been carelessly left behind.

Cloud ignored her comment and turned around to lead the way back to the second path. Lightning was relieved that this path seemed to be free of high ledges, but was disappointed to discover that the passages were extremely narrow and she was having trouble hiding the growing sense of claustrophobia that was consuming her.

"Stop," Cloud commanded as he held up a hand to halt the group. "Do you hear that?"

At first, all Lightning could make out was the sound of water dripping somewhere nearby, but as she strained her ears, she began to hear what Cloud had been referring to: whispering; someone was just around the corner.

* * *

 _Someone's there,_ Cloud thought as he came to a sudden halt and held up a hand to stop the others. _It might be trouble…_

"Wait here," he turned and mouthed to Lightning and Aeris.

"But…" Lightning began, ready to argue her case.

"Please," he begged. "I need you to keep Aeris safe."

It was true; he needed her to keep Aeris safe, but he also needed to keep her out of trouble. He didn't know who was around that corner; it could be no one of importance or it could be someone looking for a fight. If it came to that, she would try; he was sure of that, and that's what he was afraid of. The two of them had been walking on egg shells ever since their disagreement last night, and since then her stubbornness had been at an all-time high. She was hell-bent on proving him wrong; that she was ready for this. He wasn't so easily fooled though - she was exhausted; anyone could see that, and if she were to end up in a rumble she wouldn't last very long. He didn't want to further upset her and risk her doing something reckless, so he protected her in the only he could think of that wouldn't hurt her pride: he gave her a task to make her feel useful. He knew that she wouldn't be satisfied with it, but it was a better alternative than flat out telling her to stay put for her own safety. She would not respond well to that; that much he was certain.

As expected, Lightning looked disappointed, but she didn't object. Instead, she nodded in defeat before lowering her hand to her weapon. Cloud gave a quick nod back and then signaled for Barret, Red, and Tifa to follow him as they stepped around the corner to greet whoever was on the other side.

"Just a second!" a voice called out stopping Cloud and the others in their tracks.

 _Turks,_ he thought bitterly as he followed the sound of the voice and his eyes fell upon the bald head of Rude.

"I hoped I'd never see you again…" Red muttered beside him.

"Do you know who I am?" Rude asked.

"An asshole?" Cloud answered with a shrug, causing Tifa to snigger beside him.

"I suppose that's a yes," Rude responded unimpressed. "Well, if you know who I am, then this won't take long. It's difficult to explain what the Turks do…"

"Kidnapping, right?" Cloud replied sarcastically, earning himself a scowl from the bald headed man.

"To put it negatively…you could say that," the bald man answered. "…but, that's not all to it anymore…."

"Sir!" a female voice called out from above causing them all to look up to see a very pretty blonde haired Turk standing on an overhead ledge. "It's all right, Rude!" she added as she surveyed the group with disgust. "I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it."

"Then explain, Elena," Rude barked.

"I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena," she began as she stood tall with pride. "Thanks to what you did to Reno, we're shorthanded. But, because of that, I got promoted to the Turks…Anyhow, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed, and to try and stop you every step of the way," she added before pausing for a moment. "…wait a minute, it's the other way around…you're the ones that are getting in our way!"

"Elena, you talk too much," a cool voice echoed through the cave as another person strode into the small space.

 _Tseng!_ Cloud thought as he glared at the leader of the Turks. _This could get very messy. Good thing Lightning isn't here…_

"Mr. Tseng!?" Elena gasped in surprise as her boss stepped onto the platform near the exit.

"No need to tell them about our orders," he said sternly.

"Sorry…Tseng."

"I thought I gave you orders," Tseng scolded as his narrow eyes bounced between Elena and Rude.

"Oh, Right!" Elena nodded. "Very well…Rude and I will go after Sephiroth, who's heading for Junon Harbor!"

 _What an idiot_ , Cloud thought in amusement as his gaze shifted to gauge Tseng's reaction.

"Elena…" he sighed in irritation. "You don't seem to understand…Just go. Don't let Sephiroth get away."

"Yes, sir!" Rude and Elena chimed in unison before taking off.

"…Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him healed," Tseng informed them, changing the subject. "He wants to show his affection for you all…with a new weapon," he added as he surveyed the group properly for the first time since his arrival. "Where are Lightning and Aeris? Aren't they with you?"

"No," Cloud stated firmly.

"Oh…well then, if you see them, give them my regards," he chuckled before turning to exit the cave.

"What a creep," Tifa huffed as Tseng disappeared. "Do you think they're still after Lightning and Aeris?"

"Sure sounds like it," Barret responded. "Let's get'em and get the hell outta here before they decide to come back."

"Probably a good idea," Cloud agreed.

 _If the Turks were here, that means that Sephiroth is still nearby,_ he thought. _It looks like we're heading to Junon…_

* * *

The brightness of the outside world contrasted greatly with the dimness of the cave, and Lightning's eyes burned intensely as she stepped into the sunlight. As her eyes adjusted and she looked around, she discovered they had emerged on a small stretch of grass. The sea greeted them to the left, a forest to the right, and a rather small mountain stood in the distance in front of them.

"What's that?!" Aeris squealed as her eye's landed atop the mountain.

"It looks like a bird," Tifa remarked. "A really big bird."

"Why would it just be sitting on the mountain like that?" Lightning wondered. It was a valid question in her mind. The bird seemed to be motionless; sitting perfectly still almost as it were a statue.

"That's Ft. Condor," Barret informed them. "I heard that the Shinra built a Mako reactor there. Maybe the bird likes the heat? It don't seem to be botherin' anybody though."

"Is Junon on the other side?" Tifa inquired.

"I think so," Barret nodded. "But I'm not sure where exactly."

"Junon is a coastal city," Cloud informed them. "It also serves as one of Shinra's military bases, so it may be hard to get in once we arrive. If we follow the water, it should be easy to find. But...it looks like we're going to have to pass through Ft. Condor to get there."

"Well then, we should make haste," Red advised. "The sun will be setting soon, and it is not wise to travel at night."

"I agree," Cloud nodded. "I think we should stop in and see if we can stay for the night."

"At Ft. Condor?" Tifa questioned. "It's a military base, right?"

"Not Shinra," Barret corrected. "When they built that reactor there, it really pissed off the locals. Ever since, they been fightin' and tryin' to kick Shinra out."

"I don't know..." Tifa replied as she looked at the base with uncertainty. "It could be trouble. I say we camp. I found this tent back in the mythril mine, we could…"

"We won't all fit in that tent," Cloud countered. "We're stopping in."

Tifa stood her ground, eying the man suspiciously before finally huffing in defeat and stomping away. It seemed like the whole group was in shock by the friction that had just occurred between the two friends, but no one said a word and acted as if nothing had happened. It was hard for Lightning to pick a side. On one hand, she understood Tifa's logic. They didn't know anything about this place other than it was a military base. They didn't know what sort of people occupied it, other than they weren't Shinra. But even if it wasn't Shinra, who's to say that these people weren't worse? There were plenty of reasons to avoid the place, but the idea of a nice, warm bed after a long and physically exhausting day was almost impossible to pass up.

"Welcome to Ft. Condor," a soldier greeted with a smile as soon as they reached the incline. "What brings you…" He stopped in his tracks as his eyes surveyed the group before landing on Lightning and then moving to Cloud, taking in everything from their military issued uniforms to their growing eyes. "Are you Shinra?"

"No…well, formally," Cloud admitted. "I quit."

"Me too," Lightning quickly added, following Cloud's lead.

"That's a relief," the man sighed. "We've been fighting Shinra on this battlefield for a long time. We've settled in for a long war with them. Could you spare some time, and help us fight them? We don't want to sound pushy-."

"We're kind of in the middle of something, but we'll help in any way we can," Cloud replied causing the man to beam from ear to ear.

"Really!?" Then go on up and they'll fill you in on the details," the soldier said as he stood aside for them to pass.

Although Ft. Condor was dug into the mountain itself, the whole place reminded Lightning of a giant tree house with its ropes and ladders leading everywhere. The giant common room they had arrived in wasn't the most welcoming. It was expected that a cave would be dark as there was no natural lighting, but the walls and floor were much darker than Lightning had anticipated. The dirt, although a shade or two lighter, reminded her of the wasteland surrounding Midgar. It was easy to tell that the reactor was negatively affecting things here as well. The only light in the room came from two neon signs on the opposite wall from which they stood, and a small lantern on a nearby table.

"Hmmm…now this is something," an elderly man commented as he looked up from his tea to greet the new arrivals. "I never thought anyone would ever climb up here….your eyes are different," he remarked as he looked from Cloud to Lightning. "…well, anyhow. Any minute now, this will be a battlefield against Shinra. You'd better get down before you get involved."

"The hell those jackasses doing here?" Barret demanded angrily.

"It appears you have a problem with Shinra too," the man observed as he refocused his attention to Barret. "After all, you climbed up here. Why not listen to what I have to say for a moment?"

 _We better get out of here before the big oaf gets recruited,_ Lightning thought as she watched Barret's eyes light up at the prospect of taking on Shinra again.

"Not interested," Cloud interrupted as if he had been thinking the exact same thing.

"Cloud, we came all the way up here, so let's listen to what they have to say," Tifa suggested innocently, which earned her an appreciative nod from the dark skinned rebel leader and a scowl from the blonde.

"Do you know what's at the top of this mountain?" the man inquired.

"The reactor and the condor," Cloud replied instantly, hoping the man would get to the point.

"I can see you're very perceptive," the man responded. "Yes, it's a reactor and a condor. It seems the Shinra doesn't like the idea of having a condor on top of the reactor."

"That's one big bird! But why are they trying to get rid of it with weapons?" Barret asked as he scratched his head thoughtfully.

"It's not very logical," Red agreed.

"It seems there's some type of special materia in the reactor above us, and because the condor came, the Shinra rushed troops here. The military wants to get the condor and all of the villagers off this mountain. The condor is now warming its egg, which hatches only once every few years. We would like to protect the condor from being harmed."

"New lives…" Cloud thought aloud. It seemed as if the man's speech had somewhat moved him.

"I'll do it!" Barret declared. "I'll protect them from Shinra!"

"I admire your enthusiasm," the man smiled at Barret. "Unfortunately, we don't have the ability to fight Shinra ourselves. That's why we have hired soldiers to help us. As our sponsor, you can help with a contribution or by fighting alongside us…" the man continued as he looked between each of them. "What do you think? You want to join us in our fight?"

"Mind if we think about it for a bit?" Cloud answered, earning him a shocked look from Barret.

"What's there to think about?" Barret demanded as he looked around at the rest of the group to back him up. "We gotta do it!"

"This isn't just your decision. We need to think about this and discuss it as a group," Cloud replied coldly. "We all want to help, but don't forget that we have our own battle to fight."

"It's alright," the man cut in. "I know it's a lot to ask, and you all should take some time to think about it. There's a spare bedroom downstairs, feel free to spend the night and we'll look forward to your answer tomorrow. In the meantime, if you'd like to hear more, I'm sure the commander would love to fill you in," he added as he pointed to a rope ladder behind them that led to the upper level.

Barret looked disappointed that they hadn't immediately jumped on board with the mission but said nothing. Instead he turned on the spot and went straight toward the ladder. He was already sold on the mission, and would likely be helping whether they all agreed to or not. Red hurried off after Barret, which didn't come as a surprise to Lightning. He seemed to be the most level-headed among them, so it was only natural that he'd want more information before committing so something of this magnitude. Aeris and Tifa talked amongst themselves for a moment before hurrying off toward the neon shopping signs, leaving Lightning and Cloud behind in the dark common room.

"Well, we should probably-"

"I'm starving," Lightning interrupted, catching him off guard. It was true. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't eaten a single thing since she had woken up yesterday, and it was hard to say when her last proper meal had been. As far as she knew, the only thing that had entered her system in the past few days had been Mako.

"Uh-sure," he replied as the same thought seemed to pass through his mind. "You haven't eaten in a while, have you? Hey Mister, do you all have any food we can buy?"

"I'm afraid all we have available are MRE's," the man replied. "That vending machine over there is stocked with them, and the item shop on the next level also carries them. If you want anything else, I'm afraid you'll have to hunt and cook it yourself."

"MRE it is," Lightning sighed. She was no stranger to the bland tastes of an MRE, after all, she had served for years in the military and had consumed more than her fair share. Unfortunately, she had never managed to cook anything that could be considered edible, and had it not been for Serah, she would have likely starved to death a long time ago.

"That sounds disgusting," Cloud commented. "Come on, let's go."

"Go where?" she questioned as she gave the blonde a puzzled look. "What about the others?"

"Don't worry about it…Barret's made some friends, so I'm sure he won't miss us. Aeris and Tifa are shopping, so they'll probably be up there for hours. Red is Red…I'm not really sure what he does when we're not around. So, come on…let's go find something to eat."

* * *

For some reason, Lightning felt weird being alone with Cloud; almost as weird as she felt during their shopping trip back in Midgar, but she was in no position to turn down real food. The sun had begun to set when they ventured away from Ft. Condor, and now they were left only with the soft glow of twilight. She insisted on helping Cloud with the hunt, but he had jokingly told her that he 'worked better alone' and then told her to stay put. Of course she objected, so he assigned her the boring task of starting a fire in hopes of diverting her attention. She was on to his game. Just like earlier when he asked her to protect Aeris, he was really trying to protect her without flat out telling her no. He had obviously learned that she didn't respond well to being told she couldn't do something.

Cloud returned just as she got the fire going, carrying a rather large blue bird from one hand. After plucking and gutting the creature, it now roasted over the fire and filled the air with an appetizing aroma that made Lightning's stomach growl angrily. With nothing to do to occupy their time while the food cooked, the two sat in uncomfortable silence. There had been very few times in her life that Lightning had felt more awkward than she did at this very moment. It was obvious that Cloud wanted to talk about something, but seemed to lack the courage. Why else would he have dragged her out here like this?

"Spit it out already," she huffed causing his Mako eyes to shoot up in surprise.

"Wha-"

"Look, I know you brought me out here for a reason…so just spit it out," she continued, while refusing to break eye contact.

"I, uh…there's no real reason," he began as he looked down to tend to the meat. "I was just thinking that we've been through a lot already and I feel like I hardly know you. I just figured that food would be a good way to start."

"Hmmm…" she hummed in acknowledgment. She supposed that was a fair enough response. Many of the people in the group had strong ties with one another; Cloud and Tifa were childhood friends, Barret was the leader of their ragtag rebel group, Aeris and Tifa already seemed to have become the best of friends. It seemed like she and Red were the odd ones out. "Fair enough…so what do you want to know?"

Cloud seemed stunned that she was actually allowing this to happen, but wasted no time in his interrogation out of fear that she would change her mind.

"Is Lightning your real name?" he asked as he turned the meat over on the fire.

"No," she replied without hesitation.

"Hmm?" he quickly looked up, seemingly surprised by her honesty. "What is it then?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied coldly. "Lightning is who I am now."

"Fair enough-"

"Is Cloud your real name?" she countered.

"Yes," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Just seems like a weird name to give your child," she chuckled.

"Almost as weird as changing your own name to Lightning," he added with a snort.

"Okay…so we both have weird names," she replied with a smirk. "Next question?"

"Who's Serah?"

She could feel the smile instantly fade at the mention of her sister's name and it felt as if someone had jabbed a hot poker through her ribcage. Serah. It had been too long since she had seen her younger sister, and the recurring dreams that had plagued her while she was sick did nothing to ease her anxiety. Still, she hoped that Serah was safe; that Snow was keeping his promise to take care of her.

"Look, if you don't want to-" Cloud began, clearly taking note of her somber demeanor.

"My sister," Lightning interrupted. "Serah is my younger sister."

"Are you close?"

"Yes," she replied. "Well…we were. Our father died when Serah was a baby, and our mother died when I was fifteen. I did my best to raise her on my own. I quit school and joined the military, but the further I went into my career, the further she and I drifted apart. I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did."

"I'm sorry," Cloud apologized sincerely. "That seems like a sore subject. We don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to," he added before pausing and then taking a deep breath. Lightning could tell that the next question from his mouth would likely be the whole purpose of this little hunting trip. Part of her already knew what the question would be and was ready to answer it, but another part prayed that he wouldn't so she wouldn't have to explain something she didn't fully understand herself.

"So-um, where are you from anyway?"

And there it was. The question whose answer would do one of two things: Either provide her relief in the fact that someone on this planet knew the truth about where she was really from, or convince him that she was absolutely crazy. Oddly enough though, she felt as if he already knew the answer and was merely pushing for confirmation.

"I'm from Bodhum," she finally answered.

"Bodhum?"

"It's a seaside city on Cocoon," she clarified.

"Is Cocoon another planet, or something?"

"Sort of," she nodded. "Cocoon is a small artificial moon that orbits a planet called Pulse."

"Artificial?" he questioned. "How so?"

Lightning spent the next hour or so explaining the worlds of Cocoon and Pulse to Cloud. He never interrupted once and instead listened with great interest to her description of her hometown, her job in the Guardian Corps, and even seemed to believe her when she told him about the Fal'Cie and her journey as a cursed l'Cie.

"I think I've understood everything you've told me up until the fall," he finally cut in. "…but the next part doesn't make any sense. You say that you turned to crystal and then woke up near the pillar. You were reunited with your sister, and then what..?"

"I don't know," she admitted as she dropped her gaze to the ground. She felt silly for admitting that part of her memory was missing, but she didn't know what else to say. "I really don't know. The last thing I remember, I had reunited with Serah, given my blessing for her to marry that idiot of a fiancé, and then we all began walking toward the pillar…and that's where it ends. It's like the memories have been wiped away, but I know there's more that I'm missing...I can feel it."

Cloud sat in silence for a few moments while he mentally tried to put together the scattered pieces of her broken puzzle. It didn't seem to be adding up to him either, so he tried looking at it from a different angle.

"Do you know how you ended up here?"

"No," she replied. "I don't remember anything from that moment on. The next thing I knew I was waking up, half dead, on a beach outside of Midgar. I have no memories from that moment after the fall to the moment I woke up here. So, no…I don't know how I ended up here, and I haven't a clue how to go back."

"I'm sure there's a way," he assured her. "Maybe you were sent here for a reason? You said your world had gods and supernatural beings, right? Could it be possible that one could have sent you here?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "The only Fal'Cie that seemed to have a particular interest in us was Barthandelus, and that was only so we could slay Orphan and destroy Cocoon…but Barthandelus and Orphan are both dead, so it's unlikely."

"What about this maker that they spoke of?" he suggested. "What do you know about him?"

"Nothing, really," she admitted. "It all seemed like a bunch of made up myths and mumbo jumbo, so I never paid it much attention. I honestly didn't even believe it was real until Barthandelus confirmed that it was."

"Do you think the maker could have sent you here?"

"I suppose that it's not impossible, but it's unlikely. The mass sacrifice that was supposed to summon him never occurred, so I suppose he's still out there somewhere, sleeping."

"Well…I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Wait…so you believe all of this?" she asked in bewilderment as she searched his face for any signs of doubt.

"Why wouldn't I?" he questioned. "Even if you were suffering from the worst case of mako poisoning on the planet, there's not a chance that you could fabricate all of that in your head. I believe you, Lightning, and I want to help you in any way possible. It seems to me that you were sent here for a reason, so we just need to figure out why and then we can go from there," he added as he held out a skewer of meat for her. "Now, let's eat this and get back before they send out a search party. I'm sure someone's noticed we're gone by now."

As she quickly ate her food, she realized that confiding in Cloud had somehow made her feel lighter, as if the weight of the world had suddenly been taken from her shoulders. It felt good to share the weight; to trust someone else with the truth of who she really was and where she came from. Although, she truly felt that he had known the truth all along, it still felt good to have it out in the open between them. It empowered her to know that he was willing to stand by her side to help her accomplish whatever task had been assigned to her, and it was comforting to know that the two of them had created a bond tonight; a trust that she had with no one else on this planet. She knew now that she could count on Cloud; he had proven himself over and over to her. He had done nothing but protect her from the very beginning, and all she had done in return was push him away and reward him with anger and stubbornness. Perhaps it was time to change that…and maybe, just maybe, she could let him in.

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize for the wait, but I hope the length of this chapter made up for it. Not going to lie, this chapter fought me every step of the way…but it's finally complete, and now I'll never have to look at it again lol. Sooo….speaking of….what did you all think? Good, bad, meh? I know that I had a LOT going on in this chapter and I covered a nice portion of the story. I had a reader or two suggest that I skip it, and while I personally feel like it's the most boring part of the whole game, it felt wrong to skip over…so I decided to take something boring and use it as an opportunity for a few of the characters to bond and develop their relationships (Light and Cloud, Light and Red..) I felt like Light and Cloud were in a really bad place at the end of the last chapter, so I wanted to remedy that. I hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

 **As always, I would like to say thank you to Wolf for taking the time out of his busy schedule to read over and edit my work. It's a great feeling to know that such a talented writer is standing behind and supporting me every step of the way :) Thank you so much to all of the readers, thank you to the new (and old) followers, and of course, a very special thank you to everyone who took a few minutes to review chapter 14. You really have no idea how motivational your words can be…especially for a newbie like me. I know I've said this before, but if there is a story that you really love, the best possible thing you can do to motivate the author is to review, and review often. Now, with that being said - Go feed Ochu! Hehe ;)**

 **Okay, now on to the most important part of this message: Recently, I've had the honor and privilege of working with a very talented author by the name of 'Synchronistic', and I am beyond excited to announce that a new CloudxLight story is now available. It's called 'The Mako-Eyed Warrior'. It is absolute perfection, so please swing by his profile and have a look. The author, as well as the story, are favorited under my profile for easy access, so please check him out; I promise you won't regret it! :)  
**

 **Happy Friday the 13** **th** **! I hope you all have a great weekend, and I hope to hear from you soon!**

 **Lady A**


	17. Chapter 16: When Lightning Strikes

Chapter 16 – When Lightning Strikes

"Junon should be on the other side of that forest," Cloud stated as the group descended the mountain, leaving Ft. Condor behind them.

"Dunno why the hell we had to be up so damn early," Barret complained. "Ain't like it's goin' anywhere."

Rolling his eyes, Cloud chose to ignore the dark-skinned man's comment altogether. Barret had been in a foul mood all morning, ever since Cloud had politely declined the commander's request to stay and assist with protecting the condor. He felt bad that the small community would soon be at war, but there were more pressing matters at hand; Sephiroth was far more important than defending a giant bird and its egg from the Shinra.

Cloud had thanked the commander for his hospitality and even promised to assist in the fight if he should pass through again one day soon. Barret looked as if he were about to explode with anger, until Lightning stepped forward and donated 1,000 gil to their campaign. Her generous contribution seemed to surprise everyone in the group, and even Barret seemed to be stunned by it. Cloud couldn't help but wonder if she had really cared about the cause, or if she had only done it to prevent an argument and to maintain the peace between the two of them; his money was on the latter.

"I'm goin' on ahead," Barret grumbled as he began walking faster. "If anyone needs me, I'll be on the PHS."

Cloud opened his mouth to object, but was quickly silenced by Lightning's hand on his shoulder.

"Let him go," she whispered, "he just needs to cool down."

"We'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble…C'mon, Tifa," Aeris giggled before hurrying off after Barret.

Tifa paused for a moment as her crimson eyes danced between Cloud and Lightning before finally turning to jog after the others. She had been acting weird ever since he and Lightning had returned from their hunt last night. He'd hoped that they would have gone unnoticed, but nothing ever got past Tifa. Since their return, she had been eyeing Lightning suspiciously, almost as if she didn't trust her. Lightning had done nothing wrong, so it was hard to imagine what would cause her to act so strange.

"It looks like it's just the three of us," Red observed as he began walking. "Well, shall we?"

"Yeah…actually hang on a second!"

"Is something wrong?" the beast questioned.

"No," Cloud shook his head. "I just need to talk to Lightning for a minute."

"Very well, I'll give you two some privacy," Red replied before walking a short distance up the path and sitting down beside a tree.

"Is everything okay?" Lightning asked in confusion as her Mako eyes searched his own.

"Yeah," he replied quickly. "Lightning, I just wanted-"

"Call me Light," she interrupted. "I think you've more than earned that right," she added with a slight smile.

"Okay…Light…I just wanted to give you this," he said as he plunged his hand into his pocket and produced a small green orb.

"Is this my lightning materia?" Her eyes lit up in excitement as she took the marble sized ball and examined it.

"No, yours was missing, so I bought this one in Kalm. I meant to give it to you last night but-"

Suddenly he was cut off as a young girl leapt from an overhead tree limb and landed between them, knocking Lightning off her feet. The girl snatched the falling materia mid-air with a sly smile. Giving Cloud a wink and mock salute, she turned to run away, only to be stopped in her tracks by Red, who stood a few feet in front of her baring his teeth angrily.

"Return what you have stolen and you may leave," he growled.

"Whoa! Good doggy…nice doggy…" she replied nervously as she slowly backed away, and turned to Cloud for help.

The young girl looked to be no older than fifteen or sixteen years old. She sported a green cropped top and khaki shorts on her slender frame, and her short, jet black hair was kept out her eyes by a khaki headband that matched her shorts. On her side, was perhaps the largest ninja star that Cloud had ever laid eyes upon. It was easy to tell from her appearance and her weapon that she was Wutaian.

"Give it back," Cloud commanded as he pulled Lightning to her feet and then stepped forward with his hand extended.

"Okay…" she sighed in defeat as she took a few steps toward him. "...on second thought…" she continued with a wry smile before grabbing her shuriken and flinging it right at Lightning's head, causing her to hit the dirt once again. "See ya!" she called as she jumped over the pair of them and began running through the forest.

"I'm going to kill her!" Lightning cursed as she quickly sprang to her feet with her gunblade already drawn. Cloud quickly turned to intervene, but was too late and a single bullet escaped the chamber. The girl cried out in fright as the bullet made contact no more than two inches above her head in the bark of the tree she had begun climbing. Losing hold of the branch in her hand, the ninja fell to the ground; landing painfully on her back.

"Man…I can't believe I lost," the girl complained as Cloud, Lightning and Red advanced cautiously. "You spikey headed jerk!" she grumbled as he leaned over and retrieved the materia from the ground beside her and returned it to its owner. "One more time, let's go one more time!" she insisted as she leapt to her feet and began making offensive gestures with her hands.

"Not interested," Cloud responded coldly as he turned to walk away, motioning the others to follow.

"Thinkin' of running away?" she taunted. "Stay and fight! FIGHT, I said!" she shouted after them. "C'mon…what's the matter? You're pretty scared of me, huh!?"

"Petrified…" Cloud replied dryly as he continued walking.

"Hmm, just as I thought. What do you expect with my skills?" she laughed before finally turning away. "Good luck to you guys too. If you feel up to it, we can go another round. Later!...I'm gonna leave! I mean it!"

"Wait a second," Cloud called as he spun around to face the ninja.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lightning whispered.

"What is it?" the ninja asked as she turned around to face them once again. "You still have somethin' for me?"

"….."

"…Hmmm. So is that it?" she pondered as she studied his face. "I know you want my help because I'm so good!" she added with a cocky grin that quickly turned into a scowl when Lightning let out a loud snort beside him. "You want me to go with you?"

"That's right," he nodded which earned him a sharp elbow to the ribs, courtesy of the pinkette.

"Heh heh…thought so," the ninja laughed. "You put me on the spot. Hmm, what should I do? But, if you want me that bad, I can't refuse…Alright! I'll go with you!" she added excitedly.

"Let's hurry," Cloud replied as he turned once again and began walking away.

"Huh? Hey…HEY!" the ninja called after them. "Wait! I haven't even told you my name…"

"Nobody cares," Lightning mumbled as she rolled her eyes and stomped angrily through the forest.

"I'm Yuffie!" the ninja informed them as she caught up. "Good to meetcha!"

"Likewise," Red acknowledged politely. "I am Red XIII. That's Cloud…and Lightning."

"Cloud and Lightning!?" Yuffie gasped as she laughed so hard that she doubled over and leaned against her knees for support.

"Something wrong with our names?" Lightning challenged.

"Not at all!" Yuffie recovered, quickly picking up on the hostile vibes coming from the pinkette. "Are you two…together?"

"No," they replied in unison which caused the ninja's eyes to light up in amusement.

"Right…" Yuffie acknowledged sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. Well…anyway…that was pretty impressive, what you did back there."

"That wasn't me," Cloud laughed. "That was her."

"Oh…" the ninja replied softly. "Well…that was pretty awesome!" she continued as she turned her attention to Lightning. "Your aim was perfect!"

"What are you talking about?" Lightning responded irritably, "I missed."

* * *

 _What was he thinking?_ Lightning thought angrily as she stormed into the lower level town of Junon. _That brat tried to kill me._

As she looked around to survey the small town the group had arrived in, the first thing she noticed was that it was very shabby in appearance. The view of the sky had been blocked in a similar fashion to the slums in Midgar, and as a result, the town was dark and devoid of life aside from the humans that still resided there. The only difference was that this town didn't appear to have always been this way. From the looks of it, the plate was added fairly recently.

"What happened to this town? It's so run down…" Cloud commented as if he were reading her mind.

"Who the hell's this?" Barret demanded as he walked out of a nearby shop and his eyes landed on the young ninja.

"Nice to meet you too," Yuffie replied dryly as she rolled her eyes. "Yuffie Kisaragi," she added brightly as she turned and extended her hand to the Aeris and Tifa who had just emerged behind Barret. "Nice to meetcha!"

"Wow, now this is rare," an elderly woman remarked as she stepped out onto her front porch. "We almost never have anyone other than the Shinra people visit this town."

"Have you seen a man with a black cape?" Cloud questioned.

"Hmm…I've never seen that feller before," she replied. "You might ask around. If he's here, I'm sure someone's seen him."

"Thanks for your help," Cloud nodded in response.

"We've already asked the shop owner," Tifa informed him. "Why don't we split up again to see if anyone's seen anything suspicious?"

"Sounds like a good idea," he agreed as the seven of them broke into smaller groups and dispersed throughout the town. Yuffie insisted on tagging along with Tifa and Aeris to talk with a Shinra grunt standing guard at a giant elevator on the far end of town, while Red and Barret set off in the direction of a nearby house, leaving Lightning and Cloud alone in the middle of the town.

"Where do you want-" Cloud began as she turned and started to walk away. "Where are you going?" he asked as he jogged down the staircase to catch up with her.

"What's the deal with Yuffie," she demanded, not wasting any time in getting straight to the point.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know exactly what I mean," she replied angrily as she stopped dead in her tracks and placed her hands on her hips. "She stole from us and-"

"She has no business being out there on her own," he reasoned, "what if she had pulled that stunt with someone from Shinra…or Sephiroth?"

"Cloud, she tried to kill me!" she argued. "Do you really want someone like that around Tifa or Aeris? What if she tries to steal again, or worse, what if she kills someone?"

"Light…she's just a kid," he replied as she let out a soft growl before continuing down the stairs toward the beach. "She'll be much safer with us than on her own….and don't pretend that you don't care what happens to her. I've seen you shoot…you didn't miss."

"Okay, so I wasn't aiming for her," she countered, "but just because I didn't want to kill her, doesn't mean that I wanted her to tag along. She's dangerous and she'll end up getting in the way, mark my words."

"Okay," he conceded. "I'm sorry, I'll keep an eye on her…where are you going?"

To be honest, she hadn't really given it much thought. She knew absolutely nothing about the town, but she knew the water was in this direction, and that was good enough for her. Retreating to the ocean had always been her method of coping with difficult situations back on Cocoon as well, so it was no surprise that she'd be drawn to the first body of water she'd encountered since washing ashore outside of Midgar. To say that she'd been through a lot in her short time on this planet was an understatement, and what she needed more than anything was time to think and sort out her emotions, and there was no better place to do that than near the water.

"To the beach, I guess," she sighed, "I just need some time to think."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I-"

"He-y! Mr. Dolphin!" a young girl called out from the water, distracting them from their conversation. "My name is…Pris-cil-a! Now you say it."

"What is she doing in the water?" Cloud asked. "That tower looks dangerous."

"We need to get her out of there," Lightning agreed as the two of them took off at a sprint down the remaining steps and onto the dry sandy beach.

"Hey," Cloud shouted, "you shouldn't be in there!"

"Who are you guys?" the girl asked suspiciously as she looked between them, making note of their identical Mako infused eyes. "Are you members of Shinra, Inc.?"

"No-" Lightning began.

"You've got it all wrong," Cloud added.

"I don't believe you!" she replied angrily. "Get out of here!"

"Right…" Lightning sighed just as something glimmering on the water's surface caught her eye. As she strained her eyes to see beneath the water's surface, the thing in question shot upwards into the air, showering them all with water. "A monster!" she exclaimed as the creature came to a pause and hovered menacingly above them. It was hard to determine what exactly the creature was, but its long body and fins made look like a hybrid between a fish and a giant snake. She would have found its rainbow coloring to be beautiful if it hadn't been staring at her and Cloud with its large yellow eyes as if they were its next meal.

"Be careful, Mr. Dolphin," the girl called Priscilla shouted as she ran toward the creature ready to defend her friend.

"Cloud!" Lightning panicked as the creature lunged at the little girl, knocking her face first into the water.

"I'll distract it," he said as he pulled his buster sword from his back. "You get the girl."

Lightning gave a swift nod before the two of them charged into the water. Cloud immediately began swinging his sword at the serpent, but his attacks didn't seem to be doing much good as the creature quickly dodged and levitated higher to avoid being struck. Lightning pulled Priscilla from the water and quickly carried her to a relatively safe place away from the water and fighting before returning to assist Cloud, who looked as if he were trying unsuccessfully to hit a giant piñata.

"This isn't working," he huffed, "let's switch to-"

 _Materia_ , he had meant to say, but was quickly cut off as the serpent opened its mouth and sent a blue beam directly into his chest. At first Cloud seemed to be fine, until a large transparent bubble appeared around him, causing him to wrap his arms around his core as if he were in pain.

"What's wrong?" Lightning asked as she ran to his aid, quickly discovering that the bubble was solid. Swiftly removing her gunblade, she extended it to sword mode and struck the barrier several times, only for her weapon to bounce right off as if she were fighting against a steel wall. "How do I break this?"

"Don't worry about me," he told her through gritted teeth as he fell to his knees. "Take care of the enemy."

"Right," she nodded as she pulled out her lightning materia and quickly absorbed it into her arm.

Admittedly, the effects of the Mako poisoning were still lingering, but any fatigue she felt was quickly replaced by a surge of power that she hadn't felt in a long time. The electricity coursing through her veins felt good and she was more than eager to put it to good use, but she realized that she needed to err on the side of caution; one false strike with all of this salt water and she would electrocute both herself and Cloud.

That gave her an idea. If weapons couldn't break the barrier, perhaps magic could. The idea of willingly sending magic in Cloud's direction was crazy and she even felt bad for considering it, but she had to do something before it killed him; he seemed to be barely hanging as it was while the bubble continued to drain his life.

 _It's now or never,_ she thought as the serpent dived at her and she sliced upward with her gunblade, causing it to screech loudly in pain. As the creature retreated higher into the air to plot its next move, Lightning seized the opportunity to quickly extend her arm in Cloud's direction, sending a blast of electricity right at him. A loud exhale of relief confirmed that her strategy had been successful, but she had no to time to see if he was okay. The serpent opened its mouth wide once again, sending an identical blue beam right in her direction. Out of reflex, she waved her hand and countered with her own lightning spell, which hit the beam in mid-air causing it to dissolve. The creature screeched in anger before diving under the water's surface and disappearing from view.

"You okay?" Lightning asked as she rushed over to Cloud, who was still on his knees. Although he was free of physical injuries, he appeared to be pretty weak from the effects of the bubble. "Here, drink this," she commanded as she fished out a potion from her thigh pouch and passed it over.

"Where's…the monster?" Cloud asked as he took the potion and drank it down in one gulp.

"Not sure," she admitted as she scanned the water around them. "He went under the water…we should probably get out of here," she added as she helped him to his feet only for the both of them to be pulled back down as the water around them began to recede. "What the hell's going on?" she wondered aloud as she regained her balance and pulled Cloud up by the arm.

Suddenly the serpent burst from the water and shot high into the air, pulling with it a dangerously high wall of water.

"Let's move!" she shouted as she grabbed Cloud by the arm and began sprinting for the shore.

The two of them pushed their legs for all they were worth, but weren't fast enough to outrun the tidal wave that smashed painfully into their backs, pushing them face first into the water, causing Lightning to strike her knee against a rock. Her chest burned in agony as she involuntarily let out a cry, which filled her lungs with salt water. Strong hands pulled her upright and as soon as she broke the surface, she immediately went into a coughing frenzy. As she looked up, she saw that Cloud was already on his feet again with his sword drawn, looking around for the serpent that was nowhere to be seen. His now drenched baggy clothes stuck awkwardly to his body and his blonde spikes were weighed down to partially cover a fresh cut on his forehead.

"We need a better plan," he said, "any ideas?"

 _A better plan?_ She thought as her eyes skimmed the surface of the water looking for any signs of the serpent. _Wait a second…_

"Get out of the water!" she commanded just as the creature resurfaced and began swimming rapidly in their direction with its mouth opened widely.

The two of them sprinted for the shore as fast as their legs would carry them, and all the while Lightning concentrated intensely on what she needed to do. She could feel the power building within and she prayed that it would be enough. The area around them seemed to darken significantly, and she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn that she heard the distant sound of rumbling.

As soon as the two of them safely arrived on the dry sand, she spun on the spot and released the most powerful bolt of lightning she could muster, aiming it directly at the salt water surrounding the serpent. To her surprise, the bolt looked different than usual; not only was it much larger than she expected, it was also a brilliant shade of red. The serpent's high pitched shriek was confirmation that her plan had worked out better than expected. The crimson colored electricity rapidly spread across the surface of the water, successfully paralyzing the creature and electrocuting it.

Lightning watched the serpent evaporate into a cloud of black smoke as she let out a heavy sigh and sank to her knees in exhaustion. She stared in confusion at the crimson electricity as it continued to dance across the surface of the water for a few moments before finally dissipating.

"What was that?" Cloud asked as he sank down onto the ground next to her.

"I-I don't know," she admitted. That much was true. Even as a l'Cie, she had never managed to produce anything as powerful as what she just did. Her namesake had always been her specialty, but the most she had managed at the peak of her power was a pretty solid thundaga that was easily outshined by Hope's.

"Where's Priscilla?!" he asked, suddenly remembering the young girl.

"I-uh, she was right there," Lightning stated as she looked toward the stairs that their comrades were rushing down.

"HEY!" Tifa yelled as she sprinted toward them, closely followed by Aeris and Red. "We heard about the monster…are you okay?" she asked as she came to a halt and surveyed the two of them; her worried eyes briefly landing on Lightning's bloody knee and the cut that decorated Cloud's forehead. The two of them simply nodded in tandem.

"Priscilla…is resting at home," Aeris panted as soon as she caught up. "Her grandfather took her while you two were fighting the monster…that's how we knew you were down here. He had to give her CPR, but she should be just fine," she added as she knelt down to inspect their wounds. "Here, let me heal those."

Lightning had to hand it to the flower girl: she was very good at healing spells. No sooner had she hovered her hand over Lightning's injured knee, the pain receded and it looked as if there had never been a wound at all. Unfortunately, the restore materia did nothing to remedy her fatigue; the spell along with the physical exertion had taken a lot out of her.

"The elderly lady we met earlier has offered to let us rest in her home," Red informed them. "Perhaps the two of you should take her up on that offer."

"I think I may," Lightning replied as she shakily got to her feet and began walking toward the steps. "I'm beat."

"Sounds like a plan," Cloud agreed as Aeris finished healing the wound on his forehead. "I could use a nap as well," he added as he stood up to follow the pinkette.

* * *

"The hell happened to you two?" Barret questioned as soon as Lightning and Cloud stepped into the small house. "Comin' in here lookin' like a pair of wet dogs…no offense," he added to Red as he, Aeris and Tifa entered the house behind them.

"Ran into trouble," Cloud responded as he removed his buster sword and propped it up in a nearby corner.

"The two of you are always runnin' into trouble," Barret remarked as he lifted himself from the couch. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say….never mind," he added as he retreated to the door. "I'm goin' out to see if I can find any information about Sephiroth."

"That's our cue," Aeris sighed as she nudged Tifa. "We'd better follow him…just to make sure he doesn't end up killing that Shinra guard," she giggled before adopting a serious expression. "Cloud…Light…you two look terrible. Get some rest. We'll do some digging around and see if we can find any news on Sephiroth. Let's go, Tifa."

As Aeris and Red left the house, Tifa remained rooted to the spot and her crimson gaze locked on the two of them. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but was unable to find the right words. The three of them stood in uncomfortable silence for what felt like eternity before it finally clicked and Lightning realized why Tifa was acting so odd; she was jealous. Cloud was more than her childhood friend; she was in love with him. It all made sense, everything from the weird looks she'd been throwing Lightning's way today all the way back to her strange behavior when they'd first met in Midgar. Lightning would even be willing to bet a million gil that this was the reason Tifa had volunteered to tag along to the reactor the night everything seemed to fall apart. She was in love with Cloud, and Lightning was nothing but a threat.

Lightning felt her face burn red at this realization and quickly turned away to hide her discomfort. Claiming the far left bed against the wall, she removed her gunblade and carelessly tossed it aside before lying down and partially covering her face with her arm. Her head was spinning and more than anything she wanted out of this awkward situation, but running away would only lead to more awkwardness because Cloud would probably think something was wrong and end up following her.

"Hey, Tifa, you coming?" Aeris asked as she poked her head back inside the door.

"Yeah," Tifa nodded as she quickly turned to follow the flower girl.

"Wonder what all that was about," Cloud asked as he flopped down on the bed neighboring hers.

Lightning chose not to say a word and instead pondered how he could possibly fail to see something so obvious. Was he really unaware of her feelings, or did he just not care? It was hard to imagine that anyone could be that oblivious, especially since the two of them had known each other forever; surely the feelings had always been there. Lightning wondered how Cloud would feel about Tifa if he knew how she felt about him. Would he reciprocate her feelings or would he reject them? She couldn't help but recall his conversation with Aeris back in Midgar in which the subject of he and Tifa came up. _A sister,_ he had referred to her. Perhaps he did know how she felt and dismissed it because he didn't feel the same, or perhaps he mistook her feelings for that of a sibling.

Regardless of whether he knew how Tifa felt or not, the jealously made no sense to Lightning. Why on earth would someone like Tifa be jealous of her, of all people? She seemed to reserve this feeling exclusively for Lightning and acted perfectly normal around Aeris, who in Lightning's opinion, was far more beautiful inside and out. It was true that she and Cloud had been through a lot in the weeks following her arrival on the planet, and he had gone out of his way to help her more times than she would care to admit, but he would have done those things for anyone in the group; she was certain of that. Did Tifa think that Cloud had feelings for her? Snorting to herself, Lightning tried her best to dismiss that absurdity. Cloud couldn't possibly have feelings for her…or did he?

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Whew…another one down! I know this wasn't up there with my usual 8-10k word chapters, but I hope the action and story development made up for it. I'm pretty sure the title of this chapter says it all lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **As always, thanks to Wolf for taking the time to look things over for me. I'd also like to say thank you to Synchronistic for helping me work out some 'details' for a pretty big upcoming chapter. And most importantly, thank you to all of the awesome readers, new and old. Without you, this story would not have made it this far. If you haven't already, please take a second to follow/favorite the story. If you enjoyed this chapter, please take a minute to let me know in the review section. Your reviews are the best motivation in the world, so if you'd like to see more frequent updates, review, review, review! Even if it's a simple 'Good job' or 'You suck, Lady A', I'd like to know that you all are interested enough to let me know how I'm doing. :)**

 **Love you all, and hope to hear from you soon!**

 **Lady A**

 **P.S.**

 **#makelightninggreatagain (The Sorrowful Deity, you know this is for you lol.)**

 **and...**

 **HOLY CRAP! The story just hit 10,000 views! Wow...I'll say it again, you guys are freaking AWESOME!**


	18. Chapter 17: You Look Good In It

Chapter 17 – You Look Good In It

Cloud felt as if he were floating, suspended somewhere between dream and reality. He was unsure of the exact moment in which he had drifted off; the last thing he recalled was staring at the ceiling waiting for his fatigue to claim him. The uncomfortable moment shared with Tifa had been weighing heavily on his mind, and no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't figure out her strange behavior.

"…That reminds me," a familiar voice cut through his thoughts.

"You again? Who are you?" he asked as he tried to place where he'd heard the speaker's voice before.

"…You'll find out soon…But more importantly, five years ago…"

"Five years ago…Nibelheim?"

"When you went to Mt. Nibel, Tifa was your guide, right?"

"Yeah…surprised me."

"But where was Tifa other than that?" the voice pressed.

"I dunno."

"It was a great chance for you two to see each other again."

"…You're right."

"Why couldn't you see each other alone?"

"…I don't know. I can't remember clearly," he admitted. Why was that? Certain memories of that visit were clear as day, but others…it was as if they had been erased altogether. Why hadn't he spent any alone time with his childhood friend? It had been his first time home in years, after all. Surely the two of them would have taken some time to catch up.

"Why don't you try asking Tifa?" the voice suggested.

"…Yeah," he agreed.

"Then, get up!"

* * *

"Hey, wake up," a voice called, slowly pulling him back into reality. "…Wake up, Cloud!"

"Tifa…?" he mumbled as he opened his eyes and his surroundings slowly came into focus, revealing his childhood friend standing at the foot of his bed.

Cloud sat up in bed and tried his best to shake away the lingering grogginess. Looking around, he noticed that the bed beside him that Lightning had occupied was now vacant, and the small house was empty save for Tifa and himself. It was difficult to recall the last time the two of them had been alone together like this, and since he was unsure when the next time might be, he decided to take advantage of this rare opportunity to ask Tifa the question that was now gnawing away at him.

"When Sephiroth and I went to Nibelheim, where were you?" Cloud asked as he stared into her crimson eyes.

The question seemed to take the martial artist by surprise and her initial silence added to the suspicion that she either didn't want to talk about the subject, or she was trying to figure out how to get out of it. It was understandable that she wouldn't want to recollect certain memories associated with his visit to Nibelheim. After all, Sephiroth had murdered her father, and she had nearly died at his hands as well. Oddly enough, these weren't the details that seemed to bother her; there appeared to be something more.

"…We saw each other, right?" she responded casually as she broke eye contact to stare out the window.

"The other time," Cloud clarified, picking up on her clear attempt to evade the question.

"No…it was five years ago," she shrugged dismissively, "I don't remember…but, something's going on outside. Cloud, come quick," she added before turning around to flee before he could press any further.

 _What the hell just happened?_ Cloud wondered as he got up from the bed and retrieved his sword from its resting place in the corner. _Why is she acting so strange? First with Lightning and now with this. Is there something that she doesn't want me to know?_

Tifa had always been the type to bottle things up, but never the type to outright avoid a conversation. For her to hide something meant that it had to be important, at least to her. But what else could have happened during his trip to Nibelheim that would make her this uncomfortable? What could she possibly be afraid to tell him? Letting out a heavy sigh, he returned the sword to his back and began to make his way outside. If she didn't want to talk, he wasn't going to press; he respected her too much to force her to talk about something that made her uncomfortable. He supposed that when she was ready to talk about it, she would come to him.

When Cloud stepped out into the warm afternoon air, the sound of lively music immediately invaded his ears. As he looked around to identify the source, he saw that the rest of the group was already assembled in the center of the town. Yuffie appeared to be making fun of an agitated looking Barret, while the others laughed; even Lightning had a rare smile on her face and seemed to be enjoying the conversation.

"Hey, Cloud!" Yuffie called out as he approached. "Don't ya think Barret would look cute in a Shinra uniform?"

"I'm warnin' you, kid," Barret growled, causing the others to laugh even harder.

Normally Cloud didn't partake in these types of jokes, but the opportunity to have fun at Barret's expense was almost too hard to pass up, especially considering that either he or Lightning were so often the target of his jests or sarcastic remarks.

"You thinking of enlisting, Barret?" he teased, which earned him a scowl from the burly dark skinned man.

"I'm not the one still strutting around in Shinra clothes," Barret countered. "Ex-SOLDIER, my ass…"

 _He has a point,_ Cloud thought, _why in the hell am I still wearing this?_

He opened his mouth to reply, but was suddenly cut off as the music grew louder and the plate above them began to tremble as if a stampede of Chocobos were racing through the city.

"What's with the loud music?" Yuffie complained as she covered her ears with her hands. "It's giving me a headache!"

"Doesn't it seem a little strange?" Tifa wondered aloud. "Everything getting so noisy all of a sudden?"

"Does this have something to do with the Shinra?" Red asked.

The city above served as a secondary headquarters to the Shinra Corporation and also housed quite an impressive military base. In addition to being utilized as Shinra's primary air base, the city was also a known for its port and underwater mako reactor. The Sister Ray, however, is what made the city famous. The giant mako powered cannon was constructed as a defense mechanism during the war against Wutai and now served as warning to all those who opposed Shinra. Rumor had it that Rufus Shinra had chosen Junon as the location for his central office, so Cloud could only assume that the racket above had something to do with his ascension.

"Hey, look who's awake!" Aeris exclaimed as she gestured to Priscilla, who was now walking in their direction.

"Are you alright now?" Cloud asked as the young girl stopped in front of him.

"Ummm…thanks for helping," she muttered as she pulled nervously on her brown ponytail. "I'm sorry, I mistook you for Shinra…"

"That's alright," Cloud responded.

"I suppose we do look like the Shinra, huh?" Lightning chuckled, "I'm really glad you're okay."

"My grandpa told me what you two did, and I just wanted to give you something special," she replied as she dug around in her pocket and pulled out a red orb that was attached to a black leather cord. "It's an amulet," she informed them as she dropped it into Lightning's hand. "Take good care of it, okay?" she added before lunging forward to hug her around the waist.

"We will," Lightning promised as she pat the girl lightly on the head. Cloud could tell that this type of thing made her a little uncomfortable, but she hid it well. "...And thank you," she added as she handed the red orb to Cloud for safe keeping.

 _Shiva_ , he observed before storing it with his other materia, _wonder where she got something like this?_

"What's with the music?" Barret asked, hoping the little girl would be able to shed some light on was going on in the city above.

"I heard they're rehearsing the reception for the new Shinra president," Priscilla informed them.

"Rufus!?" Barret replied with a sinister grin, "I gotta pay my respects."

"Same here," Lightning chimed in, "this is a party I definitely want to crash."

"After the Shinra built that city above, the sun stopped shining here, and the water got polluted…" Priscilla continued, "I was raised on that story and I hate Shinra so much, I could die!"

"You think Rufus is thinking about crossing the ocean from here too?" Aeris asked no one in particular. "Does that mean that Sephiroth has already crossed?"

"Cloud, didn't you finish Rufus off?" Red inquired.

"Didn't get a chance to," he replied, "he got away."

"We gotta get to the town up there…" Barret muttered as he scratched his head thoughtfully, "Mebbe we could climb the tower?"

"No! No!" Priscilla scolded. "There's a high voltage current running underneath the tower. Don't wander near it, it's dangerous! But…you might be able to if Mr. Dolphin helps you. Follow me!" she commanded as she turned away and quickly ran toward the beach.

"High voltage tower…" Tifa thought aloud. "I guess this means that Cloud'll have to do it."

 _What?_

"Yeah, better leave it to Cloud!" Aeris agreed as she slapped him playfully on the back.

"We're counting on you, Cloud," Red chuckled.

"Hey!" Cloud objected. "Wait a second!"

"I'll do it," Lightning offered, "I don't mind."

"No," he shook his head as he set off down the path toward the beach, "I was only giving them a hard time…I'll do it."

It wasn't that he didn't think she was capable of making the climb, in fact, he knew she was more than capable of it. The truth was: he didn't want to put her in any unnecessary danger. Ever since she'd started on this journey, she'd been trying so hard to prove that she belonged and could hold her own against whatever she was faced with. With each day that passed, the Mako Poisoning receded a bit more, but she wasn't quite back to normal. She put on a good act in front of the others and pretended like it didn't bother her, but he could see right through her. He'd been around mako long enough to know that you don't just 'get over it' when you've been overexposed; it takes time.

The group made their way down to the beach to see Priscilla already standing chest deep in the water with a whistle hanging from her mouth. With each blow, her dolphin companion leapt high into the air and performed various tricks. Cloud was quite impressed that such a young child was able to train the mammal so effectively.

"Now ain't that something!" Barret praised. "I ain't ever seen no dolphin jump like that!"

"Pretty cool, huh?" Priscilla grinned. "When I blow this whistle, Mr. Dolphin jumps for me," she explained. "Here! This is for you, Cloud!" she added as she thrust the whistle into his hand.

"A gift?" he replied as he looked at the whistle questioningly. "What am I supposed to do with it!?"

"Just go into the water, blow this whistle, and Mr. Dolphin will jump you to the top of the pole!" she explained.

"Jump to the top of the pole?" he asked in confusion.

"See that rod sticking out at the top?" She pointed to a metal beam that protruded from the side of the tower. "If you jump just right, you can climb to the top of the town."

 _How in the hell does she know that?_ he wondered as he looked at the little girl that appeared to be no older than eight. _Surely, she'd never done this…right?_

"Good luck, Cloud," Barret said as he slapped him on the back encouragingly. "If you make it, we'll follow you!" he added as he turned to lead the others back into town. "Whoa!" he paused suddenly. "I'll hold the PHS for you. It'll break if it gets wet."

Cloud sighed and passed the phone over to Barret who pocketed it and then motioned for the others to follow him. Lightning, however, remained stationary and was now giving him an unusual look; one that he couldn't quite figure out.

"Is everything okay?" he asked as soon as the others were out of earshot.

"Yeah," she nodded, "just…be careful, okay?"

"You too," he replied before turning to walk into the water.

 _She was…worried._

* * *

A strong breeze rippled through his spiky locks as Cloud pulled himself up onto the runway. Luckily for him, the area was clear except for the absurdly large airship that hovered overhead. The idea of stealing it briefly passed through his mind, but that was a thought that was quickly discarded. He was most certainly no pilot, but assuming he did somehow manage to get it going, he would be then left with the impossible task of getting the others on board without alerting every Shinra soldier in the city. Soldiers he could deal with, but a whole army of them? Plus Rufus' presence meant that the Turks and SOLDIER were also here, and that was a can of worms that he had no desire to open. Best to keep a low profile and try to blend in. Hopefully the others would pick up on this as well and not start any trouble. Red, Tifa, and Aeris he felt confident in, but Barret and Lightning, not so much.

Each person in the group had some reason why they hated the Shinra, whether it was because of the damage they were doing to the planet or because they had been wronged on a more personal level. Each life had been negatively affected in some way by their misdeeds, but none more recently than Lightning's. She was a very strong and intelligent person, but seemed to be guided by her emotions. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be looking for revenge after what Shinra had allowed Hojo to do to her. This along with her over confidence in her abilities made him fear for her safety.

Looking around the runway, he decided to head toward a large structure to his right. He was unsure what to expect once he got inside the building, but it seemed to be the only promising way into the city. As he boarded the large freight elevator, he pressed the button for the ground floor and the machine hummed to life. No sooner had he stepped through the door into the narrow hallway, he was nearly plowed down by three overly excited infantrymen who were chanting praises toward the new president. The three of them paid him little mind as they continued merrily on their way, and he thought he was home free until an officer in a red suit grabbed him by the arm.

"Hey!" he shouted. "You still dressed like that!? Come 'ere!" He dragged Cloud into a room on the right and closed the door behind them. "Today's the big day when we welcome President Rufus! Hurry up and get changed" he commanded as he pointed to an open locker on the other side of the room.

 _It's the Shinra uniform,_ Cloud thought as he pulled the blue garments from the locker, _brings back memories._ He stepped into the changing room and inspected the uniform while the memories carried him away. This uniform had been the first stepping stone on his path to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming SOLDIER; the first step in becoming a hero for his childhood crush. It all seemed so far away now…

 _I was so proud when I first put it on,_ he recalled as he pulled the familiar garments over own his clothing, _I wonder when it was…I couldn't stand wearing this thing anymore?_

A sudden rapping on the wooden door snapped Cloud from his thoughts, and he realized the officer outside was growing impatient. He quickly shrank his sword to conceal in his pocket before grabbing a rifle that had been left standing against the wall.

 _"_ Wow!" the officer exclaimed as Cloud opened the door and stepped out of the changing room. "You look good in it!" he praised, stepping forward for a closer look. "You remember the greeting procedure, right?"

Cloud gave a quick nod just as one of the Shinra grunts from before barged into the room.

"Rufus has arrived," he announced with a salute to his superior.

"Alright, show time!" the officer shouted as he hurried the two of them from the room to meet up with the rest of the unit. "Don't disgrace yourselves!"

As he stepped out onto the streets, Cloud took in his very first sight of the city of Junon. It was very breezy, as was expected for an elevated town so close to the sea. The ocean that stretched out to the left of them glimmered beautifully in the setting sun, which cast an orange glow over the high rises that lined the streets on his right. From here, he had an amazing view of the canon, which was even bigger than he had previously thought. The combination of the sparkling sea, the darkening clouds overhead, and the color from the setting sun made the canon look as it were on fire; burning ominously in the background while festive music filled the air around him.

"Oh…no! No one's here!" one of the grunts whined.

"Late!" another sighed.

"Captain! We'll take a short-cut."

"Right…good idea. Let's go!" the officer commanded as he quickly directed them to a narrow alleyway.

Cloud and the rest of the unit reached the end of the alley just in time to see Heidegger march past followed by a platoon of soldiers leading the new President Shinra. The blonde man looked almost bored as he rode in the back of his car and mindlessly waved to the crowd of thousands that lined the streets.

After receiving an explanation of what they needed to do, each soldier in the unit took turns waiting for an opening before marching out to join in formation. Cloud felt his nerves start to get the better of him as the officer gave him a nudge signaling that it was his turn. The parade was being broadcasted on live television across the planet, so he prayed that he didn't mess up and bring any attention to himself. Seeing his opening, he began marching and quickly shot out of the alley to claim the spot at the end of the line.

 _So far, so good,_ he thought as he mimicked the other soldiers as they raised their rifles in synchronization. _Just a little bit further…_

Cloud was relieved when the parade finally came to an end, but his nervousness returned full force when he realized that his unit had come to a halt right in front of Rufus. He lowered his head slightly and prayed that his helmet would be enough to conceal his face. Surely the president would recognize him immediately if he took even a second to look at him properly, but luckily, the man seemed to be a bit preoccupied reprimanding Heidegger at the moment.

"What happened to the airship?" Rufus demanded as he glared angrily at the obese man.

"The long range airship is still being prepared," Heidegger explained. "It should be ready in about three more days. Gya haa haa!" he added with a nervous laugh.

"Even the Air Force's Gelnika?"

"Gya haa haa!"

"Stop that stupid horse laugh," Rufus replied icily, "things are different than when father was in charge."

"Gya…"

"Is the ship ready?" he asked impatiently.

"Yes, sir," Heidegger stammered, "we'll get it ready quickly."

Rufus simply huffed in frustration before turning to enter the lift behind him leaving Heidegger alone on the platform. The general stormed down the stairs as fast as his stubby legs would carry him and began projecting his frustration onto the soldiers because he knew they would not dare to fight back. The soldiers scattered and cowered away from the angry man, except for Cloud who bravely stood his ground as Heidegger punched him in the stomach. He shrugged and shook his head in annoyance causing the general to give him a puzzled look. He opened his mouth to no doubt give Cloud a piece of his mind, but the motor on the lift behind him hummed to life, jolting him back to his senses. Realizing that it probably wasn't a good idea to keep the president waiting, he turned on the spot and sprinted back to the lift, slamming the door behind him.

"That was a disaster," the officer sighed, "Heidegger was really irritated…the man with the black cape's been roaming the city, but we can't find him."

 _Sephiroth?_

 _"Man in a black cape?"_ Cloud asked curiously as he tried to fish for more information.

"He showed up two or three days ago, and killed a few of our soldiers," another grunt explained, "he disappeared right after that. There's a rumor going around that it was Sephiroth."

"Attention!" the officer commanded. "Dismissed…except for you, rookie." He waited until the others were gone before laying into Cloud. "Hey, are you messing with the army?"

"What if I am?" Cloud replied nonchalantly. _We're alone, I can take out this guy easily._

"You're too lazy!" the officer scolded. "For your insubordination, you've just volunteered to send the president off at the docks tonight. Get your ass back to HQ and run drills until it's time. Do I make myself clear, rookie?"

"Yes, sir," Cloud responded dryly before walking away. He had no intention of participating in tonight's sendoff ceremonies, but he did plan on going back to HQ. He was almost one hundred percent positive that that building housed the elevator that would lead him back to the town below. If they were going to follow Sephiroth, he needed to formulate a plan to get the others up here so they could all sneak onto the ship tonight.

* * *

HQ was deserted at this hour. Since the parade was over, most of the soldiers were in the city beginning what would probably be a long night of drinking and partying. The emptiness made searching for the elevator easy, and he was able to find it in no time. The only plan he had was to return to the ground and use his disguise to escort the others back to the top. He just hoped that the grunt below would fall for it. As he pushed the call button, the elevator bell dinged, and to his surprise, the doors opened to reveal his six comrades. He didn't even have the chance to speak before Lightning quickly pulled her gunblade and shoved him against the wall with the blade to his throat.

"Stop! It's me!" he pleaded.

"Cloud!?" she gasped as she quickly lowered her weapon. "What are you doing dressed like that?"

"It's a long story," he sighed. "How did you all get up here?"

"The pervert guardin' the elevator has a thing for Tifa," Barret laughed, "she was able to talk him into lettin' us on after promisin' to meet him at a party later."

"In his dreams," Tifa muttered in disgust. "Did you find out anything about Sephiroth, Cloud?"

"Some people saw him a few days ago, but no one knows for sure if he's still in the city," he explained, "I do know that Rufus is planning on crossing the ocean tonight. If Sephiroth is still here, he will be on that ship, which means that we need to be as well."

"But how are we supposed to get on?" Tifa inquired. "It's not like they'll just let anyone on board."

"Disguises," Cloud responded. "There's a locker room down the hall. You can disguise yourselves and we can sneak aboard."

"I ain't wearin' no damn Shinra uniform," Barret stated firmly.

"Me neither," Yuffie agreed as she crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" Aeris giggled.

"Fun isn't the word that I'd use to describe it," Tifa replied bitterly, "but I don't see another option. I'm in."

"Me too," Lightning agreed. "Besides…we'll finally get to see how Barret looks in that Shinra uniform," she added with a chuckle.

The group filed into the small room and stripped the lockers of all of their contents, coming up with four infantryman uniforms and two sailor's outfits. Out of stubbornness, Barret intentionally avoided the soldier uniform and instead opted for the sailor's outfit, and then stormed into the changing room.

"Hahahahahaha!" Yuffie laughed as Barret emerged from the room dressed head to toe in the white garb. "You look like an idiot!" she added causing the dark skinned man to shake with anger while his skin glowed a brilliant shade of red.

"I wouldn't laugh," Cloud inserted as he tossed her the remaining sailor uniform, "extra small…just your size." Yuffie cursed under her breath as she entered the changing room, and Cloud passed out the remaining soldier uniforms to Lightning, Tifa, Aeris, and Red.

"Slight problem," Red complained as he walked out of the changing room on his hind legs. "I can walk like this, but not very well. Someone is bound to notice."

"Hmm…" Cloud thought as he walked around him. This definitely presented a problem. He was sure that the others would have no issue sneaking aboard, but Red would stick out like a sore thumb. To get him onboard, they would need a distraction; something big enough that would snag everyone's attention long enough for the group to sneak aboard the ship. That's when it hit him. There would be a distraction; a distraction that he was supposed to be a part of. "I've got an idea…I'm supposed to be at the docks soon for Rufus' sendoff ceremony. I'll come up with something during the routine to get their attention and provide cover for everyone to sneak on board."

"What about you?" Lightning questioned. "If you're providing the distraction, how will you get on board?"

"I'll figure something out…" he replied before turning back to Red. "Most of the soldiers are out drinking and staggering around already, so you shouldn't stick out too badly in the city. Aeris and Tifa will escort you to the docks, and if anyone asks, just slur a lot and pretend to be drunk."

"I can do that," he nodded.

"It's probably a good idea to stay separated once we're on board, so with that being said, everyone keep a low profile and don't do anything stupid. Follow orders and act like you're supposed to be there. If all goes well, we should make it across the ocean with no problems," Cloud explained. "It's show time. See you all on board!" he added as he grabbed his rifle and hurried through the door.

 _Hopefully, this will all work out…_

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?" the officer demanded as soon as Cloud rounded the corner to join the rest of the unit. "I swear, kid, one more-"

"President Rufus…has now arrived!" another soldier announced as soon as Rufus and Heidegger stepped onto the dock.

"Alright, it's time!" the officer muttered to himself before calling the unit to attention. "Ten…HUT! This is it! Junon Military Reception! Do it right! Do it with enthusiasm! Ready…!"

Cloud mentally chastised himself for not taking at least a small amount of time to practice the routine that he was about to perform for the new president. He had seen the other soldiers rehearsing, and for the most part, it appeared to be exactly the same as he remembered; he just hoped that he wouldn't mess it up. His nerves instantly died as soon as the officer blew his whistle, and like a well-trained dog, he mindlessly went through the routine as if the last time he'd performed it was yesterday.

After a few minutes, Rufus appeared to be growing bored with the display and began frequently checking his watch and tapping his foot impatiently. His restlessness couldn't have come at a more inopportune time because it was at this exact moment that the others decided to try to sneak up the ramp and onto the ship. Rufus looked as if he were able to walk away from them at any time now, and he would surely recognize the others if he saw them. Thinking fast, he decided to purposely mess up one of the commands, prompting Heidegger to laugh loudly which effectively brought the president's attention back to the routine.

 _That was close,_ Cloud sighed in relief as the drill neared the end.

"Alright, now finish strong!" the officer shouted. "SPECIAL!"

Without thinking Cloud lifted his rifle and twirled it above his head causing everyone in attendance to look at him as if he'd grown and extra head.

 _Shit, I shouldn't have done that,_ Cloud thought as Rufus and Heidegger began whispering, _surely they recognized it._

"Well done," Rufus nodded to the group, keeping his icy blue eyes locked on Cloud. "Keep up the good work for Shinra, Inc.," he added before nodding to Heidegger who stepped forward. Cloud fully expected the fat man to command the unit to arrest him, but instead he walked up to the line of soldiers and began addressing each one individually.

"Gya haa ha! Here's a special bonus for you!" he laughed as soon as he stepped in front of Cloud. The general produced a sword from his side and passed it over. "A token of the President's kindness! Don't forget it!" he added before quickly turning to follow Rufus up the ramp leading to the ship.

"Once the word gets out that Sephiroth's here, Cloud and his friends will show up too," Rufus said as he glanced over his shoulder to look at Heidegger.

"We'll crush them as soon as we find them," Heidegger resolved with a cocky grin.

"We can't have them get in our way," Rufus continued as he turned around to give the fat man a stern look.

"Leave it to me, sir," Heidegger nodded before laughing nervously.

"I thought I told you to stop that stupid laugh," Rufus replied coldly before continuing up the ramp onto the ship. Heidegger muttered a few obscenities under his breath and looked as if he were about to throw another tantrum, but the loud screech of a whistle indicated that it was time to depart, so he turned and sprinted up the ramp.

"Alright, dismissed!" the officer commanded.

"That was really close," one of the neighboring soldiers commented.

"Heidegger has been really edgy lately," another added, "because Hojo disappeared, leaving a letter of resignation. Heidegger has been forced to take over that investigation too."

 _Hojo's missing?_ It would have suited Cloud just fine to never lay eyes on the greasy haired scientist again, but his disappearance wasn't something that could be overlooked. Shinra executives were treated similarly to the Turks or SOLDIER operatives. Shinra didn't allow them to just walk away from the company out of fear of their secrets being spread to the public. Hojo was no exception. He knew more of Shinra's dirty secrets than anyone having played an active hand in most of them; the most recent of which having just boarded the ship.

Did Hojo's disappearance mean that Lightning was in danger once again? Cloud would be willing to bet any sum of gil that the scientist had somehow pieced together the truth of her origin and this had sparked his interest in her. It didn't make any sense though. How would he have known that she wasn't from this planet, and more importantly, what had he been trying to accomplish in his cruel treatment of her? Could it be possible that he had done more than pumping her full of mako? Was there something going on that they were unaware of? And most importantly, would he target her again?

The thought of Hojo hurting her again made him feel sick to his stomach. Lightning had become more than just his comrade. They were friends; they trusted each other and he cared about her. He had cared about her well-being ever since their very first mission together, but something had changed after Shinra had taken her. As weird as it was to admit it, he felt as if the two of them now shared a connection; a deep connection that he couldn't quite explain. There were very few people in this world that he cared about, and he'd rather die than see any of them hurt.

The sound of a second whistle blowing snapped Cloud back to reality and he realized that he was standing alone on the dock. He quickly made the decision to keep Hojo's disappearance to himself for now and resolved to not let Lightning out of his sight until the crazy scientist had been located. He knew that she would be angry with him for withholding this kind of information from her, but he knew that if he told her, she would go looking for revenge. He understood her reasons, but he refused to take any chances with her safety. And besides, they needed to keep their minds on Sephiroth. He was close; Cloud could feel it. Shaking the unpleasant thoughts from his head, he raced up the ramp and hopped aboard the ship just as the cargo door closed tightly behind him.

 _We'll cross the ocean, to the new continent…even if we are wearing Shinra's uniforms…We'll stop Sephiroth, and maybe along the way we'll figure out more about Lightning and why Hojo is so interested in her…_

* * *

 **A/N: Not a whole lot to say about this one other than this chapter would have been ready a week ago had I not been so hung up on the first 500 words lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it. This chapter was originally supposed to cover upper Junon and the ship, but last night I decided to save the ship for the next chapter so I didn't run the risk of overloading you all. The bad news: this chapter was boring. The good news: I've got a good portion of the next chapter already written since it was originally part of this one. I was afraid that the ship would be too short to be a chapter of its own, but I think I can come up with an idea or two to lengthen it *wink wink***

 **I'm so proud of myself for sticking with Cloud for the whole chapter. It's no secret that I have a preference for narrating Lightning, but sometimes it's refreshing to switch it up. I hope I did a good job :) I also wanted to make a quick note that I wasn't making him all gooey at the end. He really does care about Lightning and that romance is beginning to bloom, but the 'deep connection' he's feeling with her is because of the Jenova cells. He just doesn't know about that yet. Just thought I'd clarify that before someone sends me hate mail for destroying their favorite character lol.**

 **As always, thank you to all of the readers and a special thanks to those who reviewed. You know the drill by now…if you haven't already done so, click that follow and favorite link at the top of your screen, and if you're feeling especially nice, please take a minute to shoot me a review. Doesn't matter if it's a simple 'Good Job' or 'You Suck', it shows me that you care enough about the story to let me know how I'm doing. :)**

 **Love you all to pieces! Have a wonderful night (or day).**

 **Lady A**


	19. Chapter 18: J-E-N-O-V-A

Chapter 18 – J-E-N-O-V-A

As Cloud's eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, he immediately understood why Rufus had been displeased with his method of travel. They were aboard a cargo ship. There were no luxurious first class accommodations fit for a president, instead the ship was filled to the brink with cardboard boxes, crates, and machine parts that were no doubt supplies bound for the next destination. Among the mess, he could hear the voices of people that were going about their business, but luckily, no one had been around to see him sneak aboard.

His first thought as he began navigating his way through the maze of cargo was to locate his comrades to ensure they were all okay, but a sudden groan to his right caught his attention. He immediately identified the young sailor that was hunched over hugging her abdomen as a miserable looking Yuffie. It seemed as though her endless supply of energy had finally met its match in the form of motion sickness.

"You okay?" he asked with genuine concern.

"Urrrrgh…" she groaned as she looked up to meet his gaze. Her face had turned a disgusting shade of green and she looked as if she were about to hurl at any moment. "This is why…I hate ships….Do you have any tranquilizers?"

"I have one left," he replied as he fished the vial of medicine from his pocket.

"Thanks, Cloud," she smiled appreciatively, "where are the others?"

"I dunno, aren't they hiding somewhere around here?" he asked with a quick glance around the congested room.

"How should I know!?" she choked as she fought off another wave of nausea.

"Look, we should be there by morning, so why don't you find a place to hide and try to get some sleep," Cloud suggested. "There's nothing more suspicious than a seasick sailor," he added with a laugh.

"I-I know," she agreed. "Thanks again, Cloud," she smiled weakly before staggering away to hide behind a large crate.

After he was positive that Yuffie would not be discovered in her hiding place, he continued his journey through the messy room in search of the others. On the way, he encountered several sailors as well as a very angry looking soldier that was standing guard in front of a door. As he turned left to continue searching the large room, he spied Aeris who gave him a quick wave and a warm smile as she performed her assigned duties. Aside from Aeris and Yuffie, none of the others appeared to be on this level, so he decided to make his way back past the angry guard towards the long set of stairs that led to the upper deck.

As he stepped onto the wooden deck, he was immediately met with the cool summer night's breeze. Every star in the sky seemed to be visible tonight and the full moon bathed the ship's surface with its light. The sound of sea water gently lapping against the side of the ship immediately added an overall calming effect to the scene, and even though he was in disguise in hostile territory, he found a sense of serenity in his surroundings.

Walking across the deck, he spot Tifa keeping watch in one of the perches above him. Although she was still in uniform, she was easily identified by her assets. She gave him a discreet thumbs up to let him know that everything was okay and then pretended to be on guard duty once again. Red was also easy to spot high in the second perch as he occasionally wobbled back and forth. He had chosen his position well; the height and the darkness would most definitely aid in his concealment. The only two people he hadn't seen thus far was Barret and Lightning, which made him a little nervous. Of everyone onboard, he felt as if he needed to keep the closest eye on the two of them.

Aside from his comrades, the back of the ship was completely deserted, which did wonders for relieving his anxiety over the possibility of getting caught. He assumed that the actual guards were probably somewhere near the bridge or the president's quarters and would more than likely stay put for the night; they didn't seem to expect any trouble tonight and Cloud hoped to keep it that way. As long as no one did anything foolish, the other guards wouldn't have a reason to venture to this side of the deck and they could spend the night in peace.

Traveling up the steps towards the stern, he saw a lone soldier standing next to the railing looking out at the ocean. He had a pretty good idea who this might be and he was proven correct as he got closer and spot the few loose strands of pale pink that had escaped her helmet. She hadn't seemed to notice his presence yet, which he thought to be odd. Normally she lived on high alert, and for her to be oblivious to his presence meant that something was probably weighing on her mind.

"Hey," he greeted causing her to jump slightly and instinctively reach for her weapon. "Calm down…It's just me."

"Don't sneak up on me like that," she sighed as her tense demeanor relaxed a bit. "What are you doing back here?"

"I was just checking in on you," he answered honestly.

"Oh…okay…" she responded as she returned her gaze to stare off into the distance.

"Is everything okay, Light?" he asked. "You seem a little…distracted."

"Yeah…I mean…I don't know," she shook her head, "I feel…off."

"Are you feeling sick?" he asked in concern as he mind reflected back to the young ninja below deck.

"I've never been seasick in my life," she replied with a soft snort, "I grew up by the ocean, remember?"

"So what's wrong?" he probed causing her to look at him nervously. He hoped that he hadn't overstepped his boundaries by pressing her to talk, but his genuine concern for her well-being seemed to override any hesitations and he just couldn't help himself.

"I…don't know," she finally admitted. "This'll sounds pretty stupid and you'll probably think I'm crazy, but ever since I stepped foot on this ship, I've felt…weird."

"Weird, how?" he inquired.

"I can't really explain it…" she responded, "I just feel…anxious, I guess. Something just feels off here, and I can't help but feel like something is about to happen."

"It doesn't sound stupid and I don't think you're crazy, but I think you just need some rest," he replied. "You've been pushing yourself pretty hard the past couple of days."

"I feel fine and I'm not tired at all," she argued, "if anything, it's the other way around. I feel wired…like my body just wants to go somewhere."

"Do you wanna take a walk?"

"I thought it was best to stay separated?" she questioned.

"I think we're the only people on this side of the ship," he assured her, "We'll be alright. Besides, we need to find Barret and make sure he isn't doing anything stupid."

"You're probably right," she agreed, furrowing her eyebrows. "He's probably trying to come up with a way to assassinate the president. Any ideas where to start looking?"

"I'm thinking that we should head towards the bridge," he replied. That seemed to be the most logical place to start. If Barret wasn't on the back of the ship then he must have wandered off in search of Rufus. Cloud just hoped that they'd find him before he did something that would jeopardize them all.

He and Lightning strode side by side on their way to the steps that would lead them to the main deck. As they passed the others, Red gave them a swift nod from his high post while Tifa stared at them angrily from atop hers. Lightning seemed to have felt the martial artist's burning gaze as well because she suddenly sped up, creating distance between the two of them.

 _What the hell is going on between them?_ he wondered as he continued to stare at Tifa, whose eyes were still shooting daggers at Lightning.

Cloud caught up to his pink haired comrade just as she reached the top of the steps that led to the main deck. Surprisingly, there weren't as many soldiers on this level as he expected. There were a few sprinkled in here and there, but for the most part, security seemed pretty lax. The soldiers that were on duty seemed to be more focused on their conversations than looking out for an actual treat, and Cloud chuckled when he realized that his group of pretend soldiers were doing a better job at keeping watch than the actual soldiers were.

It didn't take them long to locate their missing friend once they came into sight of the bridge; the dark skinned rebel leader stood out like a sore thumb in his bright white sailor's uniform. He'd obviously noticed the poor excuse for security as well and had seized the opportunity to search for the president, and to Cloud's dismay, had found him. Barret was crouched low to the ground and had his head erected just high enough to be able to peer into the window large overhead, which displayed the general and new president engaged in conversation.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked as he and Lightning crouched down to join the snooping sailor.

"Look, Cloud," Barret pointed, "It's Rufus and Heidegger…They're this close and we can't do a thing to 'em…"

"You're going to blow our cover," Lightning scolded, "We need to get back to the other side of the ship."

"How can he…goin' off laughin' like that?" Barret asked in disbelief as he continued to observe the president. "And you…" he added with a critical look at Lightning. "How can you just sit there and not do a damn thing? Because of him…Biggs, Wedge…Jessie…"

As soon as Jessie's name escaped Barret's lips, it was if someone had flipped a switch inside Lightning's head. Her gaze suddenly turned dark and was redirected to the young president that was still laughing on the other side of the glass. Cloud didn't have to be telepathic to know what was going on inside her head; all she could see at the moment was bloody revenge.

"Light, please don't do this," he begged as she reached down and removed her gunblade. "I know what this means to you, but this isn't the time or place."

"He's right there," she argued, "We could end this."

"By shooting him?" he countered. "Look at the glass, Light! It's bullet proof. You wouldn't kill him. The only thing you'd accomplish is alerting the entire ship to our presence. I understand how you're feeling, but please, be rational about this."

Lightning stared long and hard at him while she processed his logic, and then finally lowered her weapon to her side in defeat. Cloud let out a silent sigh of relief, while Barret looked angrily between the two of them. It seemed that Lightning had finally reached a state of acquiescence, but the same could not be said of their hard-headed rebel leader.

"Gggggggggh…" he growled. "God, I can't take it anymore! If you wusses don't wanna help, fine, but I'm gonna settle things right here and now!" he barked as he rapidly stood up and began marching toward the door only to be stopped in his tracks by the sound of a voice overhead.

"Emergency alert! Reports of a stowaway found! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!" the high pitched voice announced through the intercom. As the message was repeated, the three of them exchanged nervous glances.

"Damn, did they find us?" Barret questioned as he looked around suspiciously at the soldiers that were hurrying in different directions. "Hmm, I don't think it's us. Did they find Tifa and the others!?"

"I don't know, but we need to get back there and make sure everyone is okay," Cloud responded as he took off running towards the back of the ship.

The trio bolted down the steps just in time to see the others hurrying in their direction. To Cloud's relief, it looked like everyone was accounted for; even Yuffie had managed to pry herself out of her hiding place and now stood among the group looking as though she was about to blow chunks.

"Everyone alright?" Barret questioned.

"Everyone's here…right? Tifa asked as she began counting heads.

"Hey, wait…you don't think that suspicious stowaway is…" Barret began, but trailed off.

"Sephiroth?" Lightning asked, completing the thought.

"Really!?" Tifa gasped as she looked at Barret for confirmation.

"How the hell am I supposed to know!?" he answered.

"…Let's find out," Cloud stated firmly.

"It's the most logical thing to do," Red agreed, "who's going to go?"

"N-Not me…" Yuffie choked. "I don't even know Sephiroth anyway. And besid…ugh…urk…" she added before running as fast as her legs would carry her to the side of the ship to vomit over the edge.

"We should spilt into two groups," Cloud recommended. "Three of us will look for Sephiroth and the rest will stay here."

"I'm going," Lightning stated firmly as she pulled off her helmet and tossed it onto the deck with a loud clang.

"Me too," Tifa added as she did the same.

This was the response that he had been dreading. Being accompanied into danger by the two most important people to him wasn't by any means ideal. He wanted to object; to tell both of them absolutely not and take Red and Barret instead, but he held his tongue. He understood Tifa's reasons for wanting to go. After all, Sephiroth had murdered her father and had left her for dead as well. She had every right to face the man that had destroyed her life with a few flicks of his masamune, and he had no place to deny her that right. Lightning, on the other hand, hadn't been wronged by him and had no particular reason to face to him aside from just wanting to. However, he couldn't tell her no without having to explain why her safety was more important than everyone else's, and that was something that he wasn't prepared to do until he fully understood the reason himself.

"Okay," he nodded in confirmation, receiving a grateful smile from Tifa and a look of confusion from Lightning, who for once, didn't have to argue her case.

"Quite a few soldiers went down to the cargo hold a while ago and haven't come back…I say we check it out," Tifa suggested.

"Sounds like a good to start," Cloud agreed. "Okay then…Tifa, Lightning and I will go down below to investigate. Barret and Red will stay above and keep an eye on things up here. Aeris, take care of Yuffie and if anything happens up here, call us on the PHS. Everyone make sure to check your equipment and materia and be prepared for a fight. We don't know what to expect, and our cover could be blown at any moment."

Aeris, Red, and Barret nodded in unison before turning away to head to their respective posts, and Cloud, Tifa, and Lightning began heading towards the stairs that would lead them back down into the maze of cargo. As they descended to the lower level, Cloud felt the cold clutches of anxiety begin to grip him once again. He felt nervous for a few reasons. The first and most obvious reason being the possibility of actually facing the man that burned his home to the ground, killed his mother, destroyed Tifa's life, and had been the source of his nightmares for as long as he could remember.

Every other reason, however, lied in his companions. The idea of facing Sephiroth with the two people he cared for most by his side was a little unsettling. He knew what Sephiroth was capable of; the man didn't get his reputation because he was a 'good warrior', he got it because he was a cold blooded killer and indomitable. The thought of either Tifa or Lightning falling or being injured by his hand was almost too much to bear, and the more the dark thought swirled around in his mind, the more he just wanted to tell them both to turn back.

And then of course, there was the awkwardness that had arisen between Tifa and Lightning that had been lingering in the air since their stay at Ft. Condor. Cloud still couldn't quite figure out what exactly was going on there. He had never been the best at dealing with women, but he could tell that something was going on between the two…well, something was going on with Tifa; Lightning seemed to be just as confused about her odd behavior as he was. The two of them weren't exactly the best of friends, and he couldn't help but wonder if this silent conflict, distrust, or whatever it was, would affect how the two of them would work together in battle.

"Dead…" Lightning observed as soon as the room below came into view, revealing the dead bodies of several deceased soldiers and sailors. "…They're all dead."

"What's going on here?" Tifa wondered aloud as she stopped to observe a man lying face first on the metal floor that Cloud identified as the angry looking soldier he'd passed earlier in the night. "Cloud, do you think Sephiroth did this?"

"I don't know, but it looks like whoever did went inside this room," he replied, "this man was standing guard here when I passed through earlier. I wonder if he was guarding something important."

As the three of them slowly opened the door and silently filed in, the importance of the room became blatantly clear; it was the engine room. As Cloud's eyes moved around the room taking in the strange machinery that lined the walls, his eyes fell on a dead sailor to his left and a dead soldier dangling from the catwalk above. On the other side of the room, a lone soldier stood with his back towards them. Cloud found it odd that no one had survived except this one man, and part of him couldn't help but wonder if it had been him that'd murdered everyone else. As they silently approached, the man slowly turned around to face them, revealing a knife that was protruding from the center of his chest. The man let out a painful hiss, before pulling the knife from his body and then collapsing into a heap on the ground.

"…After a long sleep…the time…the time has…come…"

Cloud felt every muscle in his body contract as the voice from his nightmares filled the air around them.

"What the hell?" Lightning gasped as a dark figure slowly rose from the ground where the soldier had just been standing.

"Sephiroth! You're alive!?" Cloud shouted as he studied the man up and down to make sure he wasn't imagining things. He still wore his trademark black trench coat that extended to his ankles, and upon both of his shoulders, were silver pauldrons that were nearly identical in color to his long hair that hung next to his face and down the length of his back. There wasn't a splash of color on the man except for the unnatural green orbs that glowed upon his face, staring wickedly at them.

"…Who are you?" he asked as his eyes studied Cloud's face for a long moment before quickly glancing at Tifa and then pausing to study Lightning as well.

"You don't remember me!?" Cloud growled. "I'm Cloud."

"Cloud…" Sephiroth repeated monotonously.

"Sephiroth! What are you thinking!? What are you doing!?" Cloud demanded angrily.

"…The time…is now…"

"What!? What are you saying!? Be more…" Cloud was suddenly cut off as Sephiroth levitated into the air and then charged at them with such force that he knocked all three of them off their feet.

Cloud's head collided painfully with the floor and as soon as his world stopped spinning, he rose to his feet to see a large, oozing, and alien like creature standing in Sephiroth's place. The pink and blue creature that towered above them was covered in slimy tentacles and large mismatched wings extended from where its arms should have been. The creature was a scary sight to behold, but what Cloud found most terrifying was not its size, its intimidating wings, or the oozing tentacles, but the fact that Jenova's face was smiling wickedly from atop the creature's shoulders.

Glancing to his side, he saw Tifa and Lightning rise to their feet looking slightly dazed, but ready to fight. Once he was sure they were alright, he didn't waste any time in engaging the creature. Pulling his sword from his pocket, he restored it to its previous size and charged. The creature's eyes moved suspiciously between them, before deciding to aim its first attack at Tifa, who quickly dived into a somersault to avoid the blue laser beam sent by one of the monster's tentacles.

The three of them reached the creature at the same time and began delivering their own hacks, slashes, and punches to its base. Their assault did little more than irritate the fiend as it let out a loud screech and then raised one of its back tentacles and shot an exploding laser at their feet causing them all to fly through the air once again and land painfully on the metal floor.

"Ugh…well that didn't work," Lightning grumbled as she rolled over and pushed herself to her feet once again.

"We need to take out those tentacles," Tifa observed. "We don't stand a chance unless we get rid of them."

"You're right," Lightning agreed, "what do you have in mind?"

"My fists won't do very much, so I'll use materia and distract it. While I'm keeping it busy, you two find a way to get rid of them."

Cloud and Lightning both nodded in tandem before setting off in opposite directions in an attempt to flank the creature, while Tifa began sending fireballs straight at its head. Her magic seemed to be doing little good, but she had succeeded at drawing its undivided attention to her. It shot beam after beam in her direction while she skillfully dodged and rolled out of the way of each one before sending back an assault of her own. It didn't seem to notice that Cloud and Lightning had begun slicing away at its tentacles, and Cloud was beginning to think that the creature was incapable of feeling pain.

They continued to hack away at the monster for several minutes until a hiss of pain redirected their attention to Tifa, who had just been hit on the shoulder by one of the blue beams. Cloud found it odd that she didn't instinctively react to the assault or counter attack with her own spell; instead she stood as motionless as a statue as the creature shot her again on the thigh with another blue laser.

"WATCH OUT!" Lightning yelled, alerting them to the large blue tentacle that was rising again in preparation for the powerful explosive laser.

"TIFA, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Cloud shouted to the frozen martial artist.

"I-I can't," she panicked, "It hit me with something weird and I can't move my body."

"Cloud!" Lightning called. "We need to take that tentacle out…It's too thick for my sword to cut through. You take care of it and I'll help Tifa," she added as she turned back to face the monster and then threw her sword at it.

Cloud nodded before sprinting at the creature as fast as his legs would carry him and then leaping up to spring off of Lightning's sword that was now stuck in its side. He felt his heart stop when the tentacle he was aiming for released its laser beam directly at Tifa and Lightning. He growled with fury and instead of aiming for the tentacle, he drove his sword into the top of the creature's left wing and sliced it open as he slid down the length of it. As he neared the middle, he kicked hard against the fleshy muscle, and pulled his sword free. Cloud raised his sword as he fell and then brought it down at the base of creature's neck, separating its head from the rest of its body.

As he landed on the ground, he was relieved to see that neither Tifa nor Lightning had been injured by the laser. Both women were lying on the ground a few feet from where Tifa had previously stood, so Cloud could only assume that Lightning had tackled Tifa as soon as monster had shot the laser at her. Aside from looking slightly beat up and the burns that Tifa had acquired, both women seemed to be okay.

"Everyone alright?" Cloud asked as he approached and extended his hand to Lightning to pull her up while Tifa remained on the ground to nurse the burn on her leg.

"Peachy," Lightning replied sarcastically as she walked past him to retrieve her gunblade from the pool of goo that the creature had left behind. "What the hell is this thing?" she pointed to a slimy limb on that ground that was flapping around violently.

"…Jenova," Cloud muttered as he knelt down for a closer look. "The arm of Jenova…so that was Sephiroth…"

"Wait…so that guy's been walking around with this in his pocket?" Lightning asked in disgust.

"He said that 'the time is now'," Tifa mentioned. "What does that mean?"

"…Time…is now?" Cloud echoed as he stared at the limb in deep concentration.

"Dock workers - We will be arriving in Costa del Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking," a deep male's voice called over the intercom causing them all to jump.

"We should probably get out of here," Lightning advised as she crossed the room and pulled Tifa to her feet. "Let's go find Aeris and have her heal these burns of yours," she added as she threw Tifa's arm over her shoulder and helped her limp away.

"Sephiroth…is alive…" Cloud mumbled to himself as he leaned over to pick up a red summon orb from the puddle of slime. "The Promised Land…Does it really exist…?"

 **A/N: (Insert Prompto Voice) we're in the money, we're in the money…Oh hey! What's up!? I feel like I've been away for a while. It's only been like a week since my last update, but I guess with all of the changes going on in my life right now, it seems like it's been longer. I started a new job this week and I'm loving it so far! I actually look forward to going to work each day and my day goes by super fast. Anywho, that's what I've been up to lately, but I'm sure you all don't care about that, so let's talk about the story…**

 **What did you all think about this chapter? It was originally supposed to be the ending of chapter 17, but I didn't want to overload you all. I felt like so much happened in 17 and adding this on would have been overkill. Hopefully you all don't mind that I split it up. So…since this is a CloudxLight fic, I purposely removed all of the conversations between Cloud, Aeris and Tifa. It may have been just me, but I felt like this part of the game was heavy on the CloudxTifa and the CloudxAeris stuff (I'm just sayin'…he was chattin' up both of those girls on that ship lol). Idk…I just figured that it'd be best to cut the conversations and have him focus on Light and also Tifa's jealousy. Speaking of…Cloud was oblivious in the game as well, but my god, the dude is blind! I'm having fun with this lol. Anyway, that jealously is about to die. I decided to take Tifa into the boss fight so that Lightning could save her and they could start building a friendship (I like Tifa and I really hate writing her like this lol). I was originally going to take Red, so I hope this minor change works out for the best.**

 **One thing I would also like to make mention of is that when Lightning tells Cloud that she's feeling weird, she is actually feeling Jenova's presence on the ship. Having spent year's right next to it, Cloud doesn't feel the pull as strongly as she does and you could even say that he's ignorant to its gravity. Just wanted to throw that out there :)**

 **Okay…I'm torn on an idea and I feel like only you, the readers, can help with this. I am going to put it to a vote, so if you want to participate, please do so in the review section. Here it is: Since this is a CloudxLight fic, I need to start thinking of a time for that first kiss to happen. I have an idea that I've been tossing around for a few weeks, but that part of the story is coming up very soon so I need to make a decision on it. My question for you all is: when do you think it should occur in the story? Would soon be okay, or should I wait a while? Personally, I'm thinking it may be too soon, but then again, they have been together since chapter 4 (14 chapters). This is such a big decision that I don't feel like I'm the right one to make it. I feel like the power to decide this should lie with those who dedicate their valuable time to reading the updates each week. So guys, I'm leaving it up to you. If you have an opinion about the matter, please drop me a review and let me know what you think.**

 **As always, thank you to everyone who took the time to read this update, and thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 17 (** **Reishin Amara, I've always wondered the same thing. Think about the Shinra building: he could have walked right in and did whatever the hell he wanted and no one would have questioned it. I don't think SE thought that one through lol). If you haven't already, please take a moment to click that little link on your screen to follow/favorite the story (trust me…the story is picking up and you definitely don't want to miss the updates!) and if you're feeling especially generous and would like to boost my self-esteem, please take a few seconds to drop me a review and let me know how I did..and don't forget to vote!**

 **Hope you all have an AMAZING night! I look forward to hearing from you soon.**

 **Lady A**

 **PS-I totally wrote this with J-E-N-O-V-A playing in the background lol**


	20. Chapter 19: Flames and Feelings, Part 1

Chapter 19 – Flames and Feelings

The sunlight of a new day greeted Lightning as the cargo door opened to reveal the seaside town of Costa del Sol. The concrete port in which they had docked was very plain in appearance, but looked large enough to accommodate several vessels as well as an aircraft or two. Its simplicity and the vast openness of it all reminded her of the port in Bodhum that she frequently patrolled when she was just starting out in the Guardian Corps. Normally, she would have welcomed any memories of her hometown, but now they only served as painful reminders of a place that she may never see again.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Lightning stepped onto dock and into the hot air. So far, the town looked like Bodhum, but it most certainly didn't feel like Bodhum. Thanks to the Fal'Cie, Bodhum had never been hot. The temperature had always been regulated and was pretty consistent; it was always warm enough to go swimming, but cool enough to still enjoy spending time outdoors. This didn't seem to be the case in Costa del Sol. Although they were in the early hours of the morning, the sun was already beating down on the small town making it uncomfortably hot.

"Damn! Sure is hot here!" Barret remarked as he stepped out onto the dock behind her. "But I sure feel better now that I can say good-bye to this sailor suit."

"Oh, too bad. I liked Barret's sailor suit," Aeris giggled childishly, "he looked so cute."

"…What'ya mean 'cute'' he retorted as he turned around to fix her with his most intimidating glare.

"Barret, why don't you use that sailor suit for pajamas?" Tifa joked. "Right, Cloud?"

"Ahhh….You'd look like a bear wearing a marshmallow," Cloud teased causing the dark skinned man to turn a bright shade of red. Lightning let out a soft snort at his remark. Cloud had been much more open with the group lately and had even begun participating when they decided to take stabs at Barret. She really liked seeing this side of him and it was a nice change from the stoic warrior that she'd met during her first mission with AVALANCHE. It was hard to imagine what exactly had sparked the change in him, but she had to admit that she really liked who he turned out to be.

"The hell's that supposed to mean!?" Barret asked defensively. "This happens to be comfortable, so shu'up!"

"..Puff…puff…would you all kindly hurry," Red sniffed impatiently, "the heat here is drying my nose."

"Yeah, mine too!" Yuffie called out sarcastically from above before leaping from the railing of the ship to land beside them. As her feet touched the concrete, she looked as if she were about to collapse onto her knees and kiss the very ground on which she stood. Now that the sea wasn't wreaking havoc on her senses, she looked like her old self again. The color had returned to her face and she seemed to have twice as much energy than usual.

"We probably should get moving," Lightning suggested. "They'll start unloading the ship soon and I don't want to be anywhere near this area when they discover all of those dead bodies."

"You're right," Cloud agreed with a quick glance back at the ship. "Alright, we'll take a break and then head out tomorrow morning. Don't wander too far."

"It looks like my mane got messed up…I'm going to rest somewhere cool," Red informed them before running off in search of a place to escape the scalding hot sun.

"I think I'll go swimming," Tifa said excitedly. "Aeris, Light, do you wanna go?"

"Sounds good to me," Aeris smiled with equal enthusiasm.

"Uh-sure, Lightning replied hesitantly while doing her best to hide her surprise that Tifa had actually invited her to do something. "…I just have a few things that I'd like to do first. I'll meet you all there later." That was partially true. While she didn't have anything pressing on her agenda, she wanted to head to the inn, shed a layer of clothing, and then take a small nap.

"Okay, see ya there!" Aeris waved as she and Tifa headed for the stairs that would lead them into town.

"I think Imma go check out the weapons and materia," Barret informed the remainder of the group. "Don't be gettin' yo asses into any trouble while we're here," he called over his shoulder as he trailed behind the girls, leaving Cloud, Lightning and Yuffie behind.

"Hmmm…I think I'm gonna follow grumpy to see the materia," Yuffie smiled mischievously. "What are you all going to do?" she asked as she looked between the two of them.

"I think I'm going to head to the inn," Lightning replied, "I need to get out of this Shinra uniform before I have a heat stroke."

"Same here," Cloud agreed as he tugged uncomfortably on the collar of his uniform.

"Oh I see," Yuffie grinned, "going to the inn for a little alone time?"

"Wha-" Lightning began to question, but quickly realized what Yuffie had been implying. Suddenly it felt as if the temperature had risen at least thirty degrees, and she felt the sweat beginning to run down her back by the gallon. Her face felt like it had just been lit ablaze by the flames of the sun, and she didn't need to see her reflection to know that it was cherry red. She didn't dare meet his gaze, but Cloud's uncomfortable shift next to her gave her slight relief in knowing that she wasn't alone in this awkward situation.

"Ha! I was totally joking, but you should see the look on your faces!" Yuffie laughed as she doubled over and pointed at them. "Oh come on, it was a joke!" she added when neither of them responded.

"I-uh…I've gotta…I'll see you all later," Lightning finally managed to get out as she walked away from them.

 _What the hell just happened?_ Lightning wondered as she walked up the stairs and onto the bridge leading to the town, _did Yuffie really just suggest that Cloud and I are a 'thing' and that we're sleeping together? Why in the world would she think that? Wait…is that what everyone else thinks as well? Do they all think that Cloud and I are together? Is that why Tifa hates me now? Does she think that Cloud and I snuck off that night to-_

She couldn't even bring herself to finish the absurd thought. Instead, she shook her head and tried her best to dismiss it. Surely Tifa didn't think that, right? Things had been icy between the two of them recently, but it had pretty much always been like that. Tifa had been acting this way towards her ever since the morning after her first mission with AVALANCHE. She'd been friendly enough the night before, but something had changed the next day. She hadn't been very happy when Barret instructed Cloud and Lightning to go shopping for supplies, and she seemed even more irritated when she walked out of the bar and into their conversation outside.

Back then, Lightning assumed that Tifa was Cloud's girlfriend and it was understandable that she'd be mad at the sight of him holding another girl's hand. In truth, he had only been inspecting her armor for materia slots, but to a bystander's perspective, the whole scene could have been easily misconstrued as something else entirely. Unfortunately, Lightning never got the chance to clear up this misunderstanding before embarking on the mission that changed everything for their small group.

She quickly learned at Aeris' house that Cloud and Tifa were not a couple, but more like siblings. Even after this discovery, she never really got a chance to revisit the issue and get to the root of Tifa's strange behavior because the very next day she was taken by Shinra and given to Hojo. After the group rescued her and she woke up in Kalm, they immediately set out on this quest to stop Sephiroth; and by then, the issue had pretty much been forgotten and didn't resurface again until the group passed through Ft. Condor. When Lightning and Cloud returned from their hunting trip, Tifa had begun to act strange towards her once again and Lightning was unable to piece it all together until that awkward moment in Junon when it all seemed to click.

Tifa was jealous; that much was obvious, but Lightning was having a hard time understanding why. It was clear that she had feelings for Cloud. They had, after all, known each other forever. They'd grown up together, played together, gone through hardships together, and had nearly died together. It would be natural for anyone in that situation to develop a romantic interest in the other person. Those feelings were definitely evident on Tifa's end, but didn't appear to be present on the opposite side of the spectrum. Cloud wasn't the brightest crayon in the box when it came to certain things, but he had to know that Tifa had feelings for him; no one is that oblivious.

Regardless of whether or not he knew how she felt, Cloud didn't seem to feel the same way about her; and this seemed to be the root of her insecurities and jealousy. Now that Lightning really thought about it, it was easy to see why Tifa's jealousy had been directed at her. He had been giving her a disproportionate amount of attention compared to the others, but she'd easily dismissed it because of everything they'd gone through lately. Tifa wasn't viewing the ordeals they went through as a chance for them to become stronger allies or even friends, she was obviously looking past the black and white to see something else entirely; and what she saw was the man she loved caring for another woman. Lightning was convinced that Cloud would have done the same thing for anyone in the group, but to understand how Tifa was feeling, she had to try to look at it from her perspective. Tifa was upset because she thought that Cloud had feelings for her, but did he really? Lightning had begun to process this possibility when they were in Junon, but her fatigue had gotten the better of her and her train of thought was derailed.

As she turned the question over in her mind once again, she realized that she didn't have an answer because she honestly didn't know. The easy thing to do would have been to dismiss it, but it was hard to ignore everything he'd done for her, starting from their very first mission together. There were big things like helping her escape an exploding reactor when she had been injured and rescuing her from Shinra HQ that could be dismissed as things that he would have done for any of his comrades, but it was the smaller things that she could not seem to overlook. Things like giving her materia to 'keep her safe'; shielding her as they fell from the reactor and into the slums; being protective of her while they were around Don Corneo and his band of perverts in Sector 6; carrying her from Midgar all the way to Kalm after rescuing her from the Shinra HQ, and then refusing to leave her side while she was unconscious and suffering from Mako Poisoning; attempting to be there for her emotionally after Jessie's death; trying to convince her to not go on this journey in an effort to protect her; the little hunting trip because she was hungry; and most importantly, the fact that he had listened to her story, believed in her, and genuinely wanted to help. He'd gone out of his comfort zone a few times and had even shown a vulnerable side for her benefit, and this was not something that he'd readily do for everyone else in the group.

There was no doubt at this point that Cloud cared about her, but the question remained as to how much. Were his feelings no different than the feelings he held for any the people he considered 'friends'? Were they similar to the feelings he held for Tifa as a sister? Or were they something else entirely? And did Cloud even understand these feelings himself?

Lightning had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't even made an attempt to take in the details of the town as she mindlessly roamed through it, but luckily enough, she had somehow found her way to the weathered looking inn. When she stepped through the door, she couldn't help but shiver as the cold air assaulted her sweat soaked skin and clothes. The sudden change of temperature proved to be somewhat of a shock to her system and her head began to ache slightly as her body slowly adjusted.

The building was laid out peculiarly for an inn. Instead of properly defined rooms, the building boasted an open concept that reminded her of an oversized studio apartment; and aside from the restroom, the only separation between the different areas was the dissimilar flooring as well as the vertical wooden railing that defined the bedroom and recreation area. The reception desk in front of her sat empty, so Lightning could only assume that the well dressed, dark haired man that was shooting pool alone in the recreation room was the Inn Keeper. As she slowly began walking towards him, he looked up from his solitary game and gave her a polite nod.

"Looking for a place to stay?" he asked as he sat the cue stick on the edge of the table to give her his full attention.

"Yes," Lightning nodded. "How much for seven?"

"Seven…let's see, that'll be 200 gil."

Lightning reached down to her thigh pouch to pull out the paper notes, but quickly realized that it was buried under her second layer of clothing and there was no way to get to it without removing the Shinra uniform. She was certain that the man wouldn't allow her to use the facility until she paid, so there was no way to remove the uniform other than doing it right in front of him, which wasn't by any means ideal. If she went with this option, she'd run the risk of having to explain why she was wearing two sets of clothes to begin with, which would appear very suspicious considering that one of them was a Shinra military issued uniform.

Fortunately, she didn't have to make this decision because a hand suddenly extended beside her and passed the required Gil to the man. Lightning quickly turned her head to follow the hand to its owner and saw that Cloud was now standing right beside her; she hadn't even heard him come in. The man took Cloud's money and then nodded his head towards the elevated room beside them before picking up his stick to resume his game of pool.

"Thanks," Lightning mumbled as the two of them walked up the stairs towards the bedroom.

"Are you okay, Light?" he asked as he glanced over at her. "You don't look very well."

"I'd be much better if I wasn't in this stupid uniform," she responded as she tugged at the soaked fabric. "I feel like I've lost my body weight in sweat."

"In that case, you should go first," he insisted as he nodded towards the bathroom.

Lightning thanked him again before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her. She peeled off the Shinra uniform piece by piece and tossed it onto the floor making a mental reminder to burn the damn thing later on. It was nice to feel the cool air on her bare skin once again, so she decided to remove her arm sleeve and gloves as well to allow them to dry properly. Scooping up her belongings, she began to exit the room, but stopped dead in her tracks as her glowing shoulder pauldron caught her attention in the mirror. Dropping the stuff back onto the floor, she hastily undid the leather straps that secured the pauldron to her jacket and pulled it free. The last thing she needed was to be questioned by the Inn Keeper about her conflicting military uniforms.

Turning the bathroom over to Cloud, she headed up the stairs and into the bedroom area. She hated that there wasn't any privacy in this inn, but she supposed that it sure as hell beat being outside in the sweltering heat. Choosing the bed nearest the wall, she stuffed her clothing and weapons undereath it and then sank into its soft surface. Normally, she would have taken a shower or had at least allowed her clothing to dry before diving into bed, but her exhaustion seemed to have once again gotten the better of her. She felt bad about not joining Aeris and Tifa at the beach right away, but after a sleepless night, the battle against Jenova, and then sweating so profusely in the heat, all she wanted to do was take a nap.

She laid on her back for several minutes listening to the hum of the ceiling fan as she thought about her upcoming conversation with Cloud. After that uncomfortable moment at the docks, he was the last person she'd wanted to see. However, she knew that sooner or later they would have to address Yuffie's comment, even to just to dismiss it as immaturity. She hated the uncomfortable and embarrassed feeling that his presence was now generating, and more than anything she wanted things to go back to the way they were.

* * *

A loud sound startled Lightning back into consciousness and her eyes shot open to the image of a red ceiling fan twirling high above her. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she tried to make sense of the unfamiliar location. The unmistakable sound of pool balls scattering nearby quickly brought her back to her senses and she realized that the loud sound that had jerked her awake had probably been the rack breaking when the Inn Keeper began yet another solitary game of pool.

It was hard to pinpoint the exact moment that she'd lost the battle against her fatigue, but as she lay there feeling slightly dazed and confused, she realized that she and Cloud never got the chance to talk. It was unclear how long she'd been asleep, but since there was still bright sunlight streaming through the small window next to the bathroom, she figured that she couldn't have been out for more than a few hours at best. Her assumption was proven correct as she sat up and discovered that the backside of her clothing was still damp.

To her surprise, Cloud lay in the bed next to hers fast asleep. She could only assume that he had either been too tired to go back out in the heat as well or he had no interest in going to the beach with the others. She'd fully expected Red to be here enjoying the air conditioning as well, but aside from Cloud and herself, it looked as though none of the others had even visited the inn yet. It seemed as if everyone was taking full advantage of this miniature vacation except for the two of them.

It wasn't that Lightning had no desire to go to the beach. In truth, she wanted to go, but was obviously less enthusiastic about it than the others were. That could mostly be attributed to the fact that she'd grown up in a coastal city. She loved living so close to the water and having the luxury of going to the beach any time she wanted. This luxury, however, robbed her of the same excitement that the others were now feeling. It was clear by how fast they all took off that they hadn't seen a proper beach in years, or at all, for that matter. But to Lightning, there was nothing fresh or new about this experience. In fact, the only thing the place had done so far was remind her of a home that she'd probably never be see again.

Although her body begged for rest, she decided to get up and start making her way to the beach to see the others. She would have much preferred to go back to sleep, but her unwillingness to break her commitment to Aeris and Tifa seemed to overpower this desire. The fact that Tifa had invited her in the first place was unusual, especially given her past behavior. Tifa had never been mean to her, but she hadn't exactly been nice either. The brunette never had much to say, but the looks she gave told Lightning everything she needed to know; and from what she could gather, Tifa didn't like nor trust her. The looks that she normally reserved for Lightning weren't present at the docks though; something had changed in her demeanor and she seemed to have been making an effort to be nice. That was precisely why Lightning refused to back out of her commitment. It felt weird to admit it, but for some reason, she found herself wanting to be accepted and even liked by the martial artist.

Letting out a deep yawn, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She quickly ran her fingers through her messy pink locks and adjusted her disheveled clothing before heading down the stairs towards the exit. The thought had crossed her mind to wake Cloud and ask him if he wanted to go, but the blonde looked so peaceful that she decided against it. Opportunities to catch up on precious sleep seemed to be few and far between these days, and she didn't want to rob Cloud of that chance.

Lightning took a deep breath before pulling the door open and stepping outside and into the heat. At this time of day, the sun was soaring high and its rays were burning so intensely that it almost felt as if the small town was an ant hill under a giant magnifying glass. Lightning winced at the thought of the whole place spontaneously bursting into flames, but felt as though it would be entirely possibly if the temperature rose any higher.

Her heart sank when she looked around to properly take in the small town for the first time and realized that it was more similar to Bodhum than she could have anticipated. Even though it was much smaller in size, the town possessed the same charm that she loved about her hometown. Despite the heat, it was very lively. The shopping booths were busy with a steady stream of patrons, men and women walked around in their swimsuits carrying surf-boards, and off in the distance a large group of children could be seen playing soccer with a large dog that looked shockingly similar to Red.

In addition to the nearly identical atmosphere, the place even resembled certain sections of Bodhum. The city she'd grown up in was very large and diverse in style, but Lightning had lived beach front her entire life and her area of town was much simpler in appearance than the rest of the city. The sand colored stone houses that were so common in her neighborhood were also standard here in Costa del Sol and there didn't seem to be a shortage of palm trees in either location. The image before her in conjunction with the sound of waves lapping against the shore seemed so familiar that she could have sworn that she was on the streets of her hometown.

"Hiya, Light," a voice called out from behind her. Turning her head slightly, she saw Yuffie standing behind the counter of one of the nearby shopping booths selling what appeared to be materia. "…Okay, great talk," the ninja replied sarcastically as Lightning ignored her greeting and began walking towards the beach.

The town's striking resemblance to Bodhum seemed to have turned her mood south rather quickly, and in her depressed state, she most certainly didn't feel like dealing with the world's most annoying ninja. In fact, it would suit her just fine to never have to deal with the kid again. Part of her was relieved to see that Yuffie had found a job here in Costa del Sol, and Lightning wondered if she could possibly be lucky enough for the nuisance to stay behind. The girl had been nothing but a thorn in her side from the very first moment they'd met, and she still didn't understand why Cloud had allowed her to tag along.

Not wanting to kill a child, she understood, but letting the brat join the party and sleep next to people that Lightning had grown to care for was another story. For some reason, Cloud seemed to trust the mischievous ninja, but Lightning did not. There was no doubt that the distrust was conceived the moment the girl threw her shuriken at Lightning's head, but now the feeling lingered for another reason. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something didn't seem right about her; it almost seemed like the ninja had an agenda of her own. She just hoped that if the kid did have something planned, she'd be able to put an end to it before she had the opportunity to hurt Cloud or the others. For now, she didn't have a choice but to trust his judgement and to secretly keep an eye on the pest.

She couldn't pretend that she didn't feel the burn that his trust in Yuffie had left on her though. The girl had threatened her life and Cloud overlooked it like it was nothing. Now that she thought about it, that didn't seem like something one would do to someone they had feelings for. Granted, Lightning didn't have a pool of experience to draw from seeing as she'd never so much as had a boyfriend, but she imagined that she ever did have feelings for someone, she wouldn't want a potentially dangerous person anywhere near them.

Shaking the blonde from her mind once more, she began to descend the stairs leading towards the beach. As soon as the water came into view, her jaw dropped at the scenery before her and she instantly understood why people enjoyed this location so much. She'd known going into this that there would probably be a few similarities between Costa del Sol and her hometown, but she never expected anything like this. This place was a mirror image of Bodhum; from the snow white sand that covered the shores to the crystal clear sapphire water that extended as far as the eye could see. Everything about this beach was identical, including the long pier that extended out over the water.

Lightning paused at this realization and wondered if she dare press forward. Seeing this place and having the constant reminder of her hometown haunting her every step was almost too much to take, and she felt a part of herself die as she accepted the fact that she would never see it again. She had never been an overly pessimistic person, and thus far had retained her optimism that someday she would return home, but something about seeing this place here and now had a sense of finality to it.

"My, my, look who we have here," a deep voice spoke up from beside her, pulling her from her thoughts. Lightning didn't have to turn her head to know who had just spoken to her. The same voice that had haunted her dreams for days now once again cut right through her making her blood run cold. She'd never properly seen the man's face, but that voice would embedded in her mind forever.

"Hojo," she gasped as she turned to take in the image of the greasy haired scientist for the first time.

"Right, you are," the man nodded as he got up from his beach chair to walk towards her. "And you…Lightning, was it? You know you left before we could finish our little experiment. That was quite rude of you."

Lightning quickly reached down to retrieve her weapon, but her hand only found air and she quickly realized that her gunblade was tucked under the bed at the inn with the rest of her belongings.

"Oh, too bad," the scientist chuckled, "were you going to kill me?"

"Who says I won't?" she countered as she cracked her knuckles, realizing that she'd left her gloves behind as well. Oh well, she didn't need weapons to strangle a man.

"Oh, I'm sure you will," he continued to laugh, causing Lightning to shake with anger. "You've got some pretty nasty bruises, young lady. If you'd like, we can go back to my lab and I can have a look at them."

"Go to hell!" she spat.

"Lightning!" a voice that she recognized as Tifa's shouted out from behind her.

"Oh, dear…" the scientist sighed as he looked past her to see who'd called her name. "It seems your little posse has come to your rescue once more."

"Hojo!" Cloud growled angrily as he stormed up to them and placed himself between Lightning and the scientist.

"Have we met?" Hojo asked innocently.

"You know damn well who we are!" Cloud snarled through gritted teeth.

"Yes, yes…It's been a long time, Cloud," Hojo conceded as he adjusted his lab coat and then retreated to his chair. "Sometimes you just gotta do something like this."

"What are you doing?" Cloud demanded.

"It should be obvious," the man sniggered, "I'm getting a tan."

"Answer me!" Cloud spat.

"Hmm…" the scientist hummed as he thought carefully about his next words. "I believe that we're both after the same goal."

"You mean Sephiroth?"

"Did you see him?" Hojo asked as he lowered his glasses with renewed interest in the conversation, and then taking their silence as confirmation. "I see..hahaha!"

"What is it?" Cloud asked in confusion.

"Nothing. I just remembered a certain hypothesis…" Hojo answered. "…Tell me, haven't you ever had the feeling that something is calling you? Or that you had to visit some place?"

"I'll go anywhere Sephiroth is at!" Cloud replied instantly. "…To beat him and put an end to all this."

"I see…" Hojo muttered with a slight smirk. "And what about you, Miss Farron? Are you chasing Sephiroth as well, or are you just blindly following Cloud around?"

"Shut up!" Cloud commanded as he stepped forward challengingly. "Don't talk to her."

"Oh, protective are we?" the scientist chuckled. "Oh my, this is very interesting indeed."

"I said shut up!" Cloud repeated angrily.

"Were you in SOLDIER? Heh heh heh! Would you like to be my guinea pig?" the scientist provoked causing Cloud to reach for his sword. "Oh, now what? Are you going to draw your sword?"

"Cloud, don't," Aeris begged. "If he dies, we won't find out anything."

"She's right," Tifa agreed. "Plus think of all these people. We can't really start something in the middle of the beach."

"Say, aren't you the 'Ancient'?" Hojo asked as he lowered his glasses once more to look at the flower girl.

"I'm Aeris!" she huffed. "At least you can do is remember my name."

"So sorry, my dear…" the scientist apologized. "I can't be expected to remember the names of all of my specimen, you know. That is, unless you're as feisty as Miss Farron here," he added with a snigger causing the anger building in Lightning to finally explode. She didn't know whether she would strangle the man or beat him to death, but he was going to die for what he'd done to her. She lunged forward only for strong arms to pull her backward and she quickly realized that Tifa was holding onto her, preventing her from giving the greasy haired scientist his much deserved fate.

"Let me go!" she demanded as she struggled against the martial artist's tight grasp.

"Light, calm down," she begged as she tightened her grip. "I know how you're feeling, but-"

"No, you don't!" Lightning snapped as she fought the tears that were beginning to pool in the corners of her eyes. "None of you do. You can't possibly understand what this sick bastard did to me in there. The pain…the hallucinations…" she continued as her voice began to crack and a single tear ran down her cheek. "You don't know how it feels to watch the person you love most die over and over inside your own head…you don't know what it feels like to beg for death."

"You're right, we don't," Tifa admitted as she loosened her grip slightly. "But killing him right now doesn't erase that or make anything better; it'll just create more problems. Look around, Light. See all of these families? The kids? Do you really want to do something that will traumatize them for the rest of their lives?"

"Tifa's right," Cloud agreed as he looked at her with that sympathetic look that she hated so much. "There will be a time and a place for this, and I promise you when that time comes, no one will stand in your way."

"Well, I'm growing bored with this," the scientist sighed as he got up from his beach chair and began walking towards the steps. "Guess my vacation's over…"

"Professor Hojo!" Aeris called causing the scientist to pause and glance back at her. "I want you to tell me something. I know I'm an ancient. My mother told me."

"Your mother?" Hojo asked in confusion before realizing who she was referring to. "Oh, you mean Ifalna. How is she?"

"You didn't know!? She died."

"…I see."

"Professor Hojo? Is Jenova an Ancient? Is Sephiroth an Ancient? Do we all have the same blood?" Aeris asked. Professor Hojo stood for a moment and mumbled something under his breath before taking off up the stairs.

"What did he say?" Tifa asked.

"I'm not really sure," Aeris shook her head, "he was mumbling, but I think he said something about heading west."

"Wonder if that's where Sephiroth is heading?" Tifa asked just as Lightning broke free from her grasp. "Light!" she called as the pinkette stormed away.

"Should we go after her?" Aeris questioned as she looked to Cloud and Tifa for advice.

"I don't think she'd want to talk to us," Tifa softly replied as her crimson eyes continued to stare after Lightning.

"But I'm really worried about her."

"Me too," Tifa agreed sadly.

* * *

Lightning didn't have a destination in mind when she set off down the beach; she just wanted to get away. She wanted to put as much distance between herself, Hojo and this place as possible; to keep walking until all of her pain disappeared. Unfortunately, that wasn't how life worked. She could walk until her legs rotted out from beneath her or until the world burst into flames, but the pain would still be there, cutting through her chest and into her heart like a hot jagged knife. She'd lost her home, her family and herself within the short span of a week, and now all that remained was pain and emptiness. There was no escape from the damage that'd been done.

She'd lost track of how long she'd been walking; maybe it'd been five minutes, maybe it'd been an hour. The sun was now beginning to sink below the horizon and its absence left a cool chill in the air, which caused Lightning to involuntarily shiver. Ascending the stairs leading away from the beach, she found herself near the docks they'd arrived at earlier. For a brief moment, she considered boarding one of the ships; just leaving and never looking back. But where would she go? This was not her world nor would it ever be. She hated the idea of abandoning the group, especially since they had done so much for her. Even though she didn't belong in this world, these people had become her family; and it was the only one she had left.

She couldn't bring herself to go back to the inn and face the others just yet, but she couldn't stay out on the streets any longer and be surrounded by all of these painful reminders of Bodhum. Retreating into the first building she encountered, she discovered that she'd ended up in the bar. Luckily, most of the patrons were enjoying the patio area and music out back and the inside was relatively empty. As she walked up to the bar and took a seat on one of the metal stools, the male bartender looked up and smiled.

"What'll you have?"

"Vodka…and leave the bottle," she requested as she pulled out 100 gil and sat it on the bar top. "Keep the change."

"Rough day?" the man asked as he returned with a glass and a large, frosted bottle.

"Something like that," she muttered as she poured herself a glass and then quickly downed it in one gulp.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No," she answered flatly as she poured another glass and drank it just as quickly as she had the first.

"Might wanna slow down a bit," the man chided. "You don't wanna overdo it and get drunk too quickly."

"That's the plan," Lightning replied sourly as she poured another glass.

"Okay...well I'll leave you to it then. Let me know if you need anything else," the bartender added before returning to serve the other customers.

As Lightning killed her third drink, she looked around at the bar and realized that it was quite similar to the establishment that NORA ran back in Bodhum. She'd always hated that place and the people who operated it, but for some reason, being reminded of it now caused her chest to ache painfully as the imaginary knife dug its way deeper into her heart. Never in a million years did she think that NORA's little hangout would have evoked this type of emotion, but there it was; twisting painfully in her chest. When she thought about it, the place only seemed to have this effect on her because all thoughts of NORA and Snow instantly led to thoughts of her sister.

It killed Lightning to know that she would probably never see Serah again. What's worse was that she never got the chance to right her wrongs and really show her sister that she was sorry for neglecting her all those years. It hurt to know that she'd never get the chance to rebuild her relationship with her sister and it hurt even worse to know that she wouldn't get to be there to witness the milestones in her sister's life. She'd wouldn't get to see how beautiful her sister looked on her wedding day or get to stand beside her as she married the idiot. She wouldn't get to see her holding her newborn baby or see how wonderful of a mother she turned out to be. Lightning had lost so many years thanks to her own stubbornness, and now she'd miss out on the rest of Serah's life.

Lightning felt herself on the verge of tears again, and she quickly realized that she needed to get out of here and get her thoughts under control before she ended up giving everyone in the bar a pathetic display of water works. Grabbing the bottle of vodka, she got to her feet and headed back out onto the streets of Costa del Sol. She could see the inn in the distance, but she still wasn't quite ready to face the others yet. The only thing that was worse than breaking down in front of a bunch of strangers was doing it in front of people she knew.

Without a destination in mind, she began walking once more, and soon found herself wandering the beach aimlessly again. Lightning had never been fond of going during the day when the place was littered with families, children, and sunbathers. Instead she preferred going at night when it was peaceful and quite, and when there were very few people around to bother her. It was just as deserted as she'd expected it to be save for the small group of teenagers that were huddled around a decent sized bon fire. As she stared into the nearby flames, she could feel her exhaustion creeping up again threatening to consume her. She was so tired; tired of the painful memories and tired of running away from them. She wanted to sit down next to the fire; to enjoy its warmth and stare into the flames until she fell asleep, but she knew that by doing that she'd run the risk of the teenagers trying to strike up a conversation with her which would no doubt end in them trying to buy her alcohol. Deciding against this, she continued down the beach before finally deciding to settle down on the deserted pier. It wasn't very well lit, so there was a very small chance of anyone bothering her here.

As soon as she sat down on the edge of the pier, she immediately regretted her decision to come here. Even though the place seemed harmless at first glance, she quickly realized that it was quite possibly the worst place she could have chosen to escape the memories of her sister. Serah had taken a liking to the pier in Bodhum at a very young age, and that was often where Lightning went to find her when she was upset or had something on her mind. It was strange to find herself in the same place that her sister had retreated to when things got too hard and she was unable to cope. The two of them had felt like strangers for the past few years, but Lightning couldn't help but think that she and Serah weren't really all that different after all.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she realized that there was nowhere in this town she could go to escape her pain and that no amount of alcohol would ever heal her broken heart. Giving up, she decided that it was probably best to return to the inn and face the others. As much as she dreaded the idea of receiving their sympathy and answering their questions about everything that'd happened to her while she was Hojo's prisoner, she realized that it would have to happen eventually and it was probably best to just go ahead and get it over with. She'd just made up her mind to head back but was suddenly paralyzed by the sound of heavy boots approaching and she didn't have to turn around to know who they belonged to.

"Light?" Cloud asked softly as he stopped beside her and looked down at her with eyes full of worry.

"Hmm?" she acknowledged as she stared at the water below and refused to meet his gaze.

"I've been looking for you for a while," he responded. "The others are worried…I'm worried. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied.

"Light, you don't have to lie to me," he frowned as he leaned over and picked up the half empty bottle of vodka. "Did you drink all of this?" Lightning said nothing, but simply nodded in response. "Wanna talk about what's bothering you?"

"Not really," she answered honestly. Cloud stood in silence for a moment before finally sighing in defeat. He set the bottle back down on the wood beside her and then turned to walk away. "Wait," she called as she turned around to face him. She wasn't sure why she had called out to him, but was thankful that he stopped and turned back around. His mako eyes glowed through the darkness as he stared at her in search of an answer. It was clear that he didn't know what she expected of him, and quite frankly she didn't know either. She didn't particularly want to talk about her problems, but for some reason, she didn't want him to leave. "Don't go," she begged.

With that plea, she suddenly realized why she had called out to him in the first place; she needed him. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he'd arrived at the same understanding and she was grateful that she didn't have to say it out loud. Sitting down next to her, he picked up the bottle of vodka again and took a long swig before handing it over to her. The two of them sat in silence for what felt like hours as they stared out at the sea and occasionally passed the bottle back and forth until it was empty.

"It was all too much," Lightning finally said, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

"Everything," she admitted. "This place...it's so much like Bodhum. Everywhere I go, I find more similarities and I can't seem to get away from them. It kills me to know that I'll probably never get to see my home…or my sister again," she added as her voice began to crack. "…I was already feeling bad enough, and then seeing Hojo here of all places…it was just too much to take. When I heard his voice, it felt as if all the air had been ripped from my lungs and the whole place had begun to close in on me. I just needed to get away. I've been trying really hard to not think about what I went through in there, but seeing him today brought it all back…every painful detail of it. I don't know what exactly he did to me, but it hurt so badly that all I could think of was how much I wanted to die…to be free of the pain. It was the lowest point of my life and I never wanted to relive those memories again."

"Light…I'm so sorry," he apologized as he hung his head.

"For what?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"For allowing that to happen to you in the first place," he answered, turning to meet her gaze. There was so much pain behind those beautiful blue eyes of his and she knew in that instant that he'd been blaming himself for what had happened all along. "If I had-"

"Stop," she interjected, "you had no way of knowing that any of this would happen."

"But-" he began, only to be instantly cut off again.

"No, it wasn't your fault," she insisted. "…it was mine," she added as she dropped her gaze to stare at the water below. "I was too careless and I overestimated myself. I put myself in that situation. You've done nothing wrong."

"Light-"

"No!" she snapped angrily. "I don't want to hear another word about it."

Awkward silence seemed to fill the air once again as the two of them sat shoulder to shoulder staring out over the water. Neither of them seemed have the right words for the other, but that didn't matter. Lightning was just happy that he was here so she didn't have to feel alone anymore.

"Tell me about Bodhum," Cloud requested causing Lightning to look up at him in surprise.

"Well…" she began. "It looks a lot like this place except much bigger. This town reminds me a lot of my neighborhood. Every year, we host a big fireworks festival and people from all over Cocoon come to see it. Serah and I used to always go to make wishes on the fireworks…that is, until I joined the Guardian Corps. You know, the worst part of all this is that I don't even know if Bodhum is there anymore. I'm sure a lot of cities were damaged when Cocoon fell, so I don't even know if I still have a place to call home. Hell, Cocoon might be completely uninhabitable now. It kills me not knowing whether Serah and the others were able to go back up, or if they were left to rebuild their lives on Pulse. I just wish I had some definite answers instead of all of these unanswered questions. I could accept not going back if I knew for sure that my sister was okay and that her idiot fiancé was taking care of her."

"I don't know the guy, but from what you've told me, he seems to really love her," Cloud replied, "I'm sure that he's doing everything in his power to keep her safe."

"You're right," she conceded, "I've never been a fan of the oaf or his little group of vigilantes, but there's no denying that he loves my sister and would do anything for her. He's proven this over and over, and I should trust in him now…I don't really have any other choice."

"Everything will work out in the end," he replied softly. "…You just have to believe that."

"I suppose you're right…" she agreed.

"Hey, Light?"

"Hmm?"

"I promise that we'll try our hardest to get you back home, but if we can't…you'll always have a home with us," he expressed sincerely. Lightning was taken aback by his words, and suddenly her thoughts and questions from earlier in the day came rushing back to the forefront of her mind.

"Cloud?" she began nervously. "…Why did you come after me?"

"What?"

"When the Shinra took me…" she clarified, "…I wasn't anything at all to you and yet you risked your life to rescue me. Aeris told me that you carried me all the way to Kalm and then didn't leave my side until I came around. Why did you care so much about what happened to me, or whether I lived or died? And why do you care now?"

Cloud looked up nervously to meet her gaze and she could tell from his eyes that he was trying to come up with a reason, but he couldn't seem to find the right words to explain it. She continued to stare at him; determined to get an answer, but instead of speaking, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to softly kiss her forehead. Lightning was too stunned by what had just happened to object, instead she allowed herself to sink into his embrace and laid her head gently on his shoulder. She wasn't sure if the alcohol was now calling the shots between them, but Cloud had somehow managed to answer the question that'd nagged her for a good portion of the day without saying so much as a word.

It was an odd feeling sitting like this with Cloud. Lightning had never felt so close to someone before and she was unsure what to make of this strange feeling. It felt selfish to remain here not knowing for sure how she felt about him, but for some reason, she wanted to hold onto this feeling for a little while longer. All she'd known since arriving on this planet had been pain and loneliness, but somehow all of those feelings had been completely melted away by a simple and innocent gesture.

It was nearly impossible to describe the physical reaction that touching Cloud was having on her body. Her head felt as if it had doubled in weight since she laid it on his shoulder and now felt magnetized to the spot. It was almost like she had molded into his form completely and the very cells within her body were fighting to escape from beneath her skin in order to merge with his. It was a very peculiar feeling, but for some reason she liked it and couldn't bring herself to pull away.

As the two of them continued to sit in silence, Lightning couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside Cloud's head right now and she wondered if he could possibly be feeling the same way that she was. His shoulder moved rhythmically under her head with each breath that he took and she could hear his heart pulsing steadily. There was nothing, not even a small hint that would have suggested that he felt nervous or even uncomfortable about what they were doing. In fact, he seemed to be just as relaxed and at peace as she was.

"It's getting late," he finally said after a few minutes. "We should probably head back to the inn before the others come looking for us."

"Yeah," she agreed as she pulled away and stood up. "…and Cloud…about tonight…"

She wanted to tell him that it was all a mistake; that he'd caught her in a weak moment or it'd been the alcohol that'd caused the two of them to do what they'd done, but that felt like a complete lie. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he expected her to say something along these lines, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She'd enjoyed every minute of it and she knew that he had as well. And while, something like that would probably never happen between the two of them again, she felt comfort in knowing that for a moment, everything had been alright.

"…Thank you."

 **A/N: *Meekly peeks out from behind brick wall***

 **Is it safe to come out, or shall I just light the fire and burn myself alive for my crimes? Obviously, the ending of this chapter was the moment that I was referring to in my last post. I had the idea to use that moment as their first kiss, but I felt that it would have been too soon. I'm glad that everyone seemed to be on the same side. I hope that what I ended up doing wasn't too terrible and was somewhat believable. I quickly realized as I was looking over my notes that I am midway through this story (wow!), so it was about time to make something happen between the two.. this is a CloudxLight fic after all ;) For those of you who do not already know, I am planning to make this story a trilogy. Most of the sequel has already been plotted out, but for it to work I need to establish a strong relationship between the two of them in this installment. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that it won't be another 20 chapters before the next moment occurs between the two lol. Speaking of 20 chapters… can you believe that it's been that many already? Tbh, I'm still surprised that this story made it past chapter 1 lol. After uploading those first two chapters, I totally expected 'death by negative reviews' XD. I'm glad that you all don't think this thing sucks as much as I do and have stuck with me. It really means the world to me :)**

 **In the next chapter, I plan on addressing that moment between them on at least three different fronts. I feel like we need to explore Lightning's feelings when her mind isn't being clouded by pain and alcohol; we need to know what Cloud was thinking when he did what he did; and finally, I think we need to know what's going on with Tifa and how she feels about everything. I feel like these are the unanswered questions we have going forward and I fully plan on addressing them in the upcoming chapters.**

 **As always, I'd like to extend my eternal gratitude to Wolf for reading this over, offering valued advice, and then applying the stamp of approval (haha, I told you that I would drag you into the fire with me lol). Thank you to all of the readers, new and old, and a special thank you to all of those who took the time out of their day to review chapter 18. You may not think that your words mean anything, but I assure you, they do. It makes a difference to know that people are still interested enough in the story to let me know how I'm doing. So if you have a minute, drop me a few lines. Otherwise, I'm left to believe that you all aren't really all that interested.**

 **I do apologize for any type-o's and errors in this chapter. These longer chapters really get to me. They aren't bad to write, but are killer to edit. When they're this long, I tend to focus less on the small grammatical issues and focus more on fixing the big issues with the story itself. Anyway, I hope there weren't too many problems here.**

 **Thanks again for reading, and I look forward to hearing from everyone. Have an amazing weekend. Love you all! :)  
**

 **Lady A**


	21. Chapter 20: Flames and Feelings, Part 2

**Chapter 20 – Flames and Feelings, Part 2**

The digital clock on the nightstand read 02:15 and Tifa rolled over in her bed for what felt like the hundredth time. At this hour, everyone was fast asleep and the only sound that filled the inn was the rumbling of Barret's snores. It would have been easy to blame her insomnia on the dark-skinned man and his earth shaking snores; after all, his nightly lumber mill had been the source of many sleepless nights in the past. As much as she wanted to throw her boot at his head and blame him for her misfortune, she knew that her actions would be misdirected. Tonight Barret was innocent and it was her own nagging thoughts that kept her awake. She'd tried just about everything to clear her mind of pesky thoughts in order to salvage what little time she had left to sleep, but nothing seemed effective and somehow her mind always circled back around to the subject that she was trying so hard to escape.

Sighing in defeat, Tifa got up from her bed and quietly made her way through the room and down the stairs, taking care not to wake any of the others on her way to the exit. The cool night's breeze rippled through her long hair as she stepped through the door and onto the streets of Costa del Sol. The small town was deserted at this hour; not a light was on in any of the homes and the only sound that could be heard for miles around was the sound of the loud waves beating against the shores nearby. Following the sound down to the beach, she collapsed into one of the chairs, dug her toes into the cold sand, and allowed herself to reflect on the events that were now plaguing her mind and keeping her awake.

Today had been a rough day for their small group. Their stay in Costa del Sol had been meant to serve as a mini vacation from their journey where they could all relax, have a little fun, and to take a break from the excessive negativity and stress that seemed to follow each of them around; but it seemed their stay had the opposite effect on a few of them.

The previous night on the ship had put a strain on everyone, but none more so than Lightning. She'd seemed so tired when they first arrived in Costa del Sol and so it was no surprise that she wasn't as excited about going to the beach as everyone else was. Tifa assumed that the pinkette would immediately head to the inn, and so while Aeris was busy trying on swimsuits, she decided to check in on her pink-haired comrade and talk with her for a few minutes. By the time that she arrived, Lightning was already sound asleep and was drenched in what appeared to be her own sweat.

Tifa recalled feeling a pang of guilt as her eyes fell upon the bruises that still decorated the pinkette's arms. This was the first time that she'd seen the woman without her black sleeve since their time in Kalm and the discolored marks did nothing but stir the haunting memory of the night when they'd found her in Hojo's laboratory. The image from that night would be forever be burned into her mind and as hard as she tried, she would never escape the guilt; after all, it was her actions that had put Lightning in that situation to begin with.

Tifa had hoped to for the chance to speak with her pink-haired comrade; to try to melt some of the ice that had formed in between the two, but she knew that Lightning needed the rest. She had been walking around for days putting on a brave face and acting as if she was one-hundred percent back to normal, but Tifa knew better. She may have had the others fooled, but Tifa knew that Mako Poisoning was not something that you could simply walk off or ignore like a case of the sniffles; she'd witnessed it with her own eyes. Lightning seemed to become stronger with each day that passed, but no one knew for sure what she was really going through because she never talked about it out of fear that Cloud would leave her behind for her own safety.

Disappointed, Tifa had left the inn and reunited with Aeris and the two of them spent the next few hours at the beach. After a quick bite to eat at the bar, Tifa had decided to check in on Lightning again, but there was no one at the inn except for Cloud, who had just woken up. He'd seemed rather interested in finding her as well, so they set off together in search of the pinkette. It didn't take very long to find her, but as soon as they saw her pale pink locks shimmering in the sun and the white lab coat that was standing beside her, they knew they'd made the right choice in searching for her.

Lightning had suffered greatly at the hands of that wicked man and Tifa couldn't fathom the mental torture that his presence had inflicted on her during that short encounter, and so it was no surprise that she stormed off on her own afterwards. Tifa wanted so badly to go after her, but she knew that it was not her place. As much as she hated to acknowledge it, the only person that stood a chance of reaching her in that mental state was Cloud and that was precisely why Tifa had urged him to go after her.

It had been obvious that Cloud was upset about the encounter with Hojo as well. He was still fuming over the scientist's taunts, but seemed more upset by how callously he'd treated Lightning. After the scientist retreated and Lightning ran away, it took all the power that both Tifa and Aeris had to stop the blonde from going after the greasy haired man and pulling the flesh from his bones. As much as it had pained her to let that psychopath off the hook, she'd known that Cloud's attention was needed elsewhere.

Both Lightning and Cloud had been missing for hours and Tifa was worried. The others had finally made it to the inn and had begun to ask questions about the blonde and pinkette's whereabouts. Tifa, not wanting to divulge any information in regard to Lightning's current mental state, pretended to be oblivious and offered to go look for them. After following breadcrumbs of clues, she finally managed to track the two of them down at the pier.

As she silently approached them, Lightning's voice became audible over the waves and Tifa found herself paralyzed by the conversation that she was overhearing. Lightning was describing her hometown, which she referred to as Bodhum. Tifa knew that no such place existed on this planet, and she'd begun to wonder if the Mako Poisoning had caused the pinkette to go mad and fabricate the entire thing. The conversation continued to become even more ludicrous as Lightning mentioned planets called Cocoon and Pulse, and Tifa was just about to make her presence known when Lightning mentioned the name Serah.

Tifa didn't know of anyone by that name, but she'd heard Lightning say it in her sleep countless times since the group had rescued her from the Shinra Headquarters. That person, whoever she was, seemed to be the focal point of all of Lightning's nightmares. Her curiosity ended up getting the better of her, so she decided to duck down behind a bench and listen to the rest of Lightning's story.

At first it felt odd listening to Lightning and Cloud converse about this world of Lightning's as if it were a real place, but somehow, learning the truth about who Serah was made all of the nonsense that Lightning was spewing seem a bit more believable. The thought that Lightning could have originated from another planet had seemed a little farfetched, but it did explain a lot, like her pale pink hair and her foreign military uniform. It also explained why she used a strange weapon that seemed to be beyond the technology of this planet and why she hadn't known what mako or materia were. In fact, the longer Tifa thought about it, the more the crazy notion made perfect sense and she quickly realized that her eavesdropping had helped her locate a missing piece of the puzzle that was Lightning.

As interested as she had been in the conversation before her, Tifa had known that she was not meant to hear it. She was beginning to feel very guilty for spying on them and so she'd decided to sneak away before either of them could notice her. However, just as she'd begun to silently retreat, the conversation took an aberrant turn, which once again, rooted Tifa to the spot.

 _'Why did you come after me?'_ Lightning suddenly questioned as her mako eyes studied the blonde in anticipation of his reaction. Tifa had already known this answer. Cloud had gone after Lightning for the same reason that they all decided to go. She was a member of AVALANCHE and they couldn't just walk away while one of their own was in trouble. It was the pinkette's second question that really caught Tifa's interest. _'Why did you care so much about what happened to me, or whether I lived or died? And why do you care now?'_

Lightning seemed to have been fishing for an answer to the same question that had been nagging at Tifa for a long time. Cloud was a nice person, and although he'd never openly admit it, he cared about the well-being of the people he trusted and considered friends. His true feelings had always been hard to read, and so he was often misunderstood as being cold or uncaring. This had never seemed to be the case with Lightning though. From the very beginning, he'd been very upfront with his concern for her well-being and Tifa didn't understand what made her so special to him.

Tifa had no trouble admitting that she had feelings for Cloud. She loved him and probably always would. He'd been there her entire life. They'd grown up together and when he left Nibelheim, he'd promised to come back to her. She'd known that Cloud had a crush on her and that his dream of joining SOLDIER had been devised as a way to impress her. What Cloud didn't know, and what she was unable to express to him at the time, was that he didn't need to run off to Midgar and become another Sephiroth to impress her; she liked him just the way he was. Maybe she was scared or maybe it was because she wasn't ready for a relationship, but that night at the well when he told her that he was leaving, she couldn't seem to find the right words to stop him. Now, not a day went by where Tifa didn't reflect on that night and wonder how differently their lives would have ended up if she had only spoken up and convinced him to stay.

It seemed as if the silence had stretched on for eternity while Lightning and Cloud stared at each other through the darkness. Lightning refused to relent as her mako eyes glowed fiercely, but then Cloud did something that was surprising. Instead of speaking, he wrapped his arm around her, pulled her in to him, and then gently kissed her forehead. Time seemed to slow down and Tifa's stomach knotted up painfully as she awaited Lightning's response. The action seemed to have surprised the pinkette as well, but instead of pulling away from his embrace, she allowed herself to sink into it.

That moment confirmed everything that Tifa had suspected. It validated Cloud's feelings for Lightning, and based on her receptiveness to his actions, it was easy to conclude that she had feelings for him as well. Tifa thought that her world would have ended with this realization, but instead, it kept right on spinning; and although it had been her deepest desire for Cloud to show her the same kind of affection that he had shown Lightning earlier tonight, she found that she wasn't upset by what had happened right in front of her.

She loved Cloud, and more than anything, she wanted him to feel the same way about her; but she knew that he didn't and probably never would. Something had changed during his time away from Nibelheim and now he could no longer see her as anything other than a friend, or at very best, a sister. She wanted him to be happy; he deserved that much, and if being with Lightning achieved that, Tifa had no choice but to accept it.

Tifa sighed as she stared at the dark image of the pier from her beach chair. The memories of what she'd witnessed there earlier tonight had been the very root of her sleeplessness. She knew that she couldn't change what had happened between Cloud and Lightning on that pier and she knew that she was powerless to stand in the way of their budding relationship. As much as she hated to admit it, the two of them had an undeniable chemistry, and they would likely end up together regardless of what she did to intervene. If she wanted Cloud to finally find the happiness that he deserved, she had to be supportive and allow him to pursue it … even if that meant watching him fall in love with someone else.

* * *

The smell of coffee filled the inn the next morning, and Cloud opened his eyes to see a few of his friends already up and about. The clock nearby read 05:25 and Cloud let out an exasperated groan at the realization that he had just lost thirty-five minutes of precious sleep. Normally, he was one of the first to wake, but today he fell behind nearly all of his comrades.

Aeris and Tifa were in the kitchenette sipping on coffee. The flower girl looked as chipper as ever as she talked excitedly, but Tifa looked tired and run down as if she hadn't slept at all. Barret's bed was empty and untidy, but the burly man was nowhere to be seen. Red was also missing from the group, and Cloud could only assume he'd gone out on his morning hunt. It seemed that the only people aside from himself that remained in bed was Lightning, who was also beginning to stir and Yuffie, who'd pulled her pillow over her head in an act of defiance.

Cloud was happy that the others were motivated and ready to leave the coastal town behind; however, their rare enthusiasm wouldn't get them very far this morning. The sun would not be rising for another hour and the roads were too dangerous to travel by night. This made losing that thirty-five minutes of sleep seem even worse in Cloud's eyes.

Normally, he wouldn't fuss over such a small and insignificant amount of time, but he was particularly tired this morning. He was uncertain if it was the alcohol that he'd consumed the night before that was making him feel overly lethargic right now or the fact that he and Lightning had only returned to the inn four and a half hours ago, or possibly a combination of both. Either way, he was not very happy about losing what little sleep he had been allotted and apparently, neither was Lightning.

He heard her curse under her breath as she tossed her blanket aside and swung her legs over the side of the bed. He was slightly surprised to see that she had shed her white overcoat at some point during the night and now only wore her brown-cropped sweater and skirt. This was the first time that he'd seen her this underdressed since their time in Kalm, and while there was nothing overly revealing about her outfit, he found it hard to look away. Her usual attire, although simple in design, did nothing to flatter her body and instead made her look very lean and muscular. Although the missing sleeve and shoulder pauldron made her muscles look even more defined than usual, the absence of the jacket showed off her feminine curves, making her appear strong yet beautiful.

Cloud continued to watch her in wonder as she rummaged underneath the bed to retrieve her belongings, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest when she glanced up and caught him staring at her. He fully expected her to give him an earful for that and he felt so guilty about it that he would have readily accepted it, but instead of ripping him a new one, she simply shook her head and gave a slight chuckle to herself before resuming her activities. He didn't really know how to react, so he tore his eyes away and began putting his own armor back on.

After he was fully dressed, he got up and began to make his way to the bathroom. He hoped that taking cover for a few minutes would be enough to help him escape the awkwardness, but as he pushed the door open, he found that he'd walked right into another awkward situation. Inside the bathroom, Barret was dressed head to toe in his sailor's uniform and appeared to be checking himself out in the mirror. As the door thumped against the wall, he spun around with a look of horror glued to his face and Cloud let out a loud laugh.

"The hell you doin' bargin' in on people in the bathroom?" the dark-skinned man demanded angrily.

"Why are you wearing that?" Cloud laughed as he studied the man up and down.

"None of you' damn business!"

"Did you sleep in that?"

"So what if I did?" Barret questioned. "This thing's comfortable and I didn't have any pajamas."

"There's nothing wrong with it," he agreed, "but you'd better not let Yuffie see you in those, or you'll never hear the end of it."

Cloud decided to give the burly man his peace in the bathroom, so he decided to head to the kitchenette for a cup of coffee. Lightning had beat him there and as soon as he walked in, she extended a red mug for him.

"Black, right?" she questioned.

"Uh... yeah," he nodded as he took the steaming cup from her. "How'd you know?"

"I have a good memory," she replied. "…and I take mine the same way," she added with a slight laugh before walking away.

"She seems like she's doing much better today," Tifa remarked as she poured herself another cup of coffee. Now that she was closer, Cloud could see the dark circles that were painted under her eyes. The imperfections in addition to the steady stream of coffee that she was ingesting did nothing but confirm his earlier suspicion that she hadn't been to sleep.

"Who would have thought that Cloud could be emotionally supportive?" Aeris joked as she nudged Tifa playfully on the arm. The martial artist gave a half smile before quickly turning her attention back to her mug of hot coffee. "Anyhow, she seems a bit lighter today, so whatever you said or did must have gotten through to her."

 _Whatever I said or did?_ He wondered as the memories from the previous night flooded his mind.

Cloud had been so angry with himself for letting Hojo speak to Lightning the way that he had, and he hated himself for not killing the man on the spot, damned the consequences. Cloud should have gone after her immediately, instead of letting her walk away to face her demons alone. All he could see at that moment was red; anger, revenge, blood, and a greasy haired scientist's death. However, in his rage, he failed to see that Lightning needed him, but luckily, Tifa and Aeris hadn't been so blind.

He'd searched for Lightning everywhere, but she'd kept moving almost as if she were literally running away from something. He'd just about given up finding her until he popped into the bar and the bartender tipped him off about a 'very depressed pink haired woman' that had just left. When he returned to the streets, he knew that she could have only gone in two directions, either to the beach or back to the inn. For some reason, he knew that she wasn't ready to face everyone else just yet, so he headed towards the beach. As soon as he reached the bottom of the steps, he saw her pale pink hair shimmering in the moonlight as she walked out onto the deserted pier.

Cloud hadn't given any thought whatsoever as to what he was going to say to Lightning, and his worst fear was that she'd reject him just as she had in Kalm. She tensed up slightly at the sound of his heavy boots, but quickly relaxed as she figured out to whom they belonged. He was relieved that she hadn't outright rejected him, but her short answers to his questions and refusal to talk about what was bothering her seemed to suggest that she was trying to. Maybe Lightning was too strong and proud to be helped after all.

Cloud had given up on what he felt like was a lost cause and decided to leave her to her thoughts, but then she did something unexpected—she asked him to stay. As he turned around and saw the pain and conflict in her eyes, he knew in that instant that she needed him and just didn't know how to express it. It was hard to describe what that realization did to him, but in that moment, he knew that there was no place that he'd rather be than by her side.

They sat side by side for at least an hour as they passed that ridiculously large bottle of Vodka back and forth and stared out at the sea. Lightning seemed to be just as tortured as when he'd found her, and he wondered how long the two of them would continue to sit in silence. Cloud was just about to attempt conversation again, but Lightning seemed as if she had read his mind and finally began to open up. He was unsure if the alcohol had finally loosened her up or if she had simply decided to trust him, but he didn't care. All that mattered to him was that she was finally talking.

The conversation turned south very quickly as Lightning explained how Hojo had made her feel, and Cloud felt his heart shatter into a million pieces when she described how much pain he'd inflicted on her and how she thought that death was her only escape. He'd felt responsible for what had happened to her and the guilt had been eating him alive from the very moment that he realized that the Shinra had taken her. If only he had kept her closer, he could have protected her and none of this ever would have happened.

Silence filled the air for a second time between them, as they both seemed lost for words. Cloud was determined to keep her talking, so he asked the only question he could think of—he asked her about Bodhum. Even though the subject was a sore one for her, he figured that it might do her some good to talk about it; and he was rather curious to learn more about her and the mysterious world she came from. His request seemed to have caught her off guard, but to his relief, she agreed to talk about it.

The conversation once again took a negative turn as the subject shifted to thoughts of Serah. It was easy to see that Lightning was beating herself up over the mistakes she'd made with her sister in the past, and Cloud hated that there wasn't anything that he could say to comfort her. He could have told her that everything would be fine or not to worry because she'd get the chance to fix her mistakes, but that would have felt like a lie. In truth, he didn't know if she'd ever get the chance to return to her world or if she would ever see her sister again.

Lightning was very intelligent and he knew that if he tried to fill her head with false hope, she'd see right through it and would probably become even more depressed. Instead, he decided to reassure her of things that she already knew. He didn't know this 'Snow' character and he knew that Lightning had never been very fond of the man, but he also knew that there was no doubt in her mind as to whether or not he loved her sister or how far he would go to keep her safe. As much as she detested the man, this simple reassurance appeared to make her feel a little better. She seemed to realize that even though she couldn't be there to watch over her sister, she could take relief in knowing that someone who loved her just as much was still there.

There was nothing that Cloud could have said that would've ease Lightning's sadness over the prospect of being stuck in this world forever. Therefore, he did the only thing he could think of and offered more reassurance—reassurance that he would try his best to get her home, but if it wasn't possible, he wanted her to know that she'd never be alone and would always have a home with them. That comment, while wholeheartedly true, made Cloud feel very guilty. He'd meant every word of it, and that was the problem. He realized with that statement that he didn't want Lightning to leave; he wanted her to stay. His thoughts instantly made him feel despicable and he began to hate himself for being so selfish.

His statement seemed to have lit a fire within Lightning. He could see something stirring behind her eyes, and he prayed that she hadn't seen his words for exactly what they were. She continued to stare at him with her mako infused eyes—eyes that until very recently, he'd viewed as monstrous. However, the eyes that were now staring at him did not come from his own reflection; they came from Lightning, and there was nothing monstrous about her.

 _'Cloud?'_ she began nervously. _'…Why did you come after me?'_

 _'What?'_

The question had caught him by surprise and it honestly took him a second to figure out to what exactly she was referring.

 _'When the Shinra took me…"_ she clarified, sensing his confusion. _"…I wasn't anything at all to you, and yet you risked your life to rescue me. Aeris told me that you carried me all the way to Kalm and then didn't leave my side until I came around. Why did you care so much about what happened to me, or whether I lived or died? And why do you care now?"_

Cloud had been asking himself the same question for quite a while now and still hadn't been able to make sense of it, but as soon as the words escaped from Lightning's lips, it seemed as if a million answers bombarded him from all directions and suddenly he understood.

The truth was he'd felt drawn to Lightning since the very first time he'd laid eyes on her. At first, he summed it up to curiosity because of her odd appearance and unusual weapon, but rapidly discovered that it was much more than that. She was different from everyone else he'd ever known; she was special, unique. He quickly realized that he liked everything about this woman from her strategic mind all the way down to her dry sense of humor. He admired her strength and the way she carried herself on a daily basis, and somehow being around her managed to ignite a confidence within himself that he thought was long dead. He liked having Lightning in his life and knowing this amplified the desire to protect her.

After the Shinra took her, it seemed as if his world had once again turned dark and cold. He needed Lightning back in his life again, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. He was ready to take on the Shinra and every single soldier employed under them if that's what it took to make sure she got out of there unscathed, but unfortunately, he'd arrived too late. He remembered the feeling of his heart as it shattered into a million pieces that night when he found her in Hojo's laboratory, and he realized that he'd failed her just as he'd failed everyone else in his life.

Lightning had somehow managed push through Hojo's experimentation, but Cloud knew that the chances of her survival after being exposed to that much mako were somewhere between slim and none. Still, he couldn't bring himself to leave her behind. He held on to the glint of hope that she would somehow make it through and one day be herself again, but if things went terribly wrong—well, he could at least give her a proper burial.

Cloud carried her all the way to Kalm and even though she was completely unresponsive, he never left her side. He wanted to be there for whatever happened next, but he knew that he couldn't stay by her side forever; he would eventually have to leave Kalm in pursuit of Sephiroth. He'd talked with the innkeeper and had paid him a good sum of money to ensure that she was taken care of. The man agreed to personally look after her until the end of the week and then arrange for her passage to Mideel, where a well-known doctor that specialized in mako induced ailments resided. Cloud knew that this would probably be her best option for survival, but that didn't make abandoning her any easier. He'd begun to accept that he would probably never see her again, but on the eve of their departure, she did something that surprised them all—she woke up.

He'd vowed not to let any more harm befall her, but that didn't make his decision to leave her any easier. He knew that the journey that he and the others were embarking on would be perilous and he wanted to shelter Lightning from that, but she'd refused to hear it. She rejected his warnings and insisted on tagging along despite the dangers and the stress that traveling would put on her weakened body. He still didn't understand why she'd made the decision to travel with them, but at that moment, he promised himself that he would not fail her again. He wouldn't let her out of his sight and he would keep her safe.

Cloud had always felt drawn to Lightning, but the feeling seemed to amplify tenfold after rescuing her from Shinra. At first, he dismissed it as overprotectiveness due to his promise, but as time passed, he began to realize that it was much deeper than that. He didn't just want to be near her; he _needed_ to be near her, as if some invisible magnetic force was constantly pulling him in her direction. It seemed that the only time that he felt truly content was when she was nearby; and when she was not around, he began to feel empty again as if something was missing.

Cloud wanted to tell Lightning all of this, but as he sat there on that pier, staring into her beautiful blue eyes, he realized that he wouldn't be able to. No matter how badly he wanted to tell her how he felt or how hard he tried, his nerves kept getting in his way. What would she make of all of this? Would she understand, or would she think he was crazy. The uncertainty of her response was killing him, but he couldn't just sit there all night staring at her. He needed to do something, to say something, anything.

The gravity between them had never felt this strong before and Cloud knew that he was dangerously close to doing something that might not be welcomed nor appreciated. He knew that he seriously needed to consider his next move or else he would ending up doing something that they both regretted after the alcohol had worn off. Instead of giving in to his impulse, he decided to satisfy it another way—he wrapped his arm around her, pulled her in and kissed the top of her forehead.

From the very moment he touched her, it felt as if every cell in his body had come to life and was now reaching out, trying to pull her closer. He'd never felt a sensation quite like this in his life, and to be honest, he never wanted it to end. He thought for sure that she would pull away and the moment would be over just as quickly as it began, but she didn't. Instead, she welcomed his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder.

Cloud felt like he could have stayed on that pier with Lightning for the rest of the night, but he knew that the others would soon come looking for them. They'd been gone for far too long and it was very late. He knew that the last thing that he wanted to do was to put Lightning or himself in a position to explain something they'd only begun to explore themselves, so as much as it pained him, he ended the moment and suggested that they head back to the inn.

'…and Cloud…about tonight...' she'd begun as she turned around to look at him with eyes full of conflicting emotion. He thought for sure she would tell him that what had happened between them had been a giant mistake or that she'd take the easy route and blame the alcohol. He'd waited for her to say something along these lines as she battled the conflict within, but the words never came. Instead, she simply said '…thank you'.

The scene from the previous night rapidly faded away as Aeris playfully waved her hand in front of his face. Snapping back to reality, he realized that he'd been staring at the pinkette on the other side of the inn as she tidied up the small bedroom area. As he took a sip of his coffee that was now cold, he couldn't help but wonder how she felt about what had transpired the night before. She'd allowed herself to experience the moment, but he was unsure if it had truly meant something to her or if it had only been a moment of weakness.

* * *

Yesterday, Lightning had spent her entire day running away from Costa del Sol, but her heart felt a little heavy as the seaside town disappeared behind her this morning. The small town had been brimming with painful reminders of her hometown and of her sister, which only added to her ever-increasing depression over the very real possibility of being stuck in this world forever. The place did nothing but amplify her sorrow over the loss of her family and her home, but it had also been the closest that'd she'd felt to them since arriving on this planet. She knew that her grief would have consumed her alive if she had stayed another day in the seaside town, but she hated the thought of willingly walking away from the only piece of her previous life that seemed to exist in this world.

The shock of properly taking in Costa del Sol for the first time had been almost too much for Lightning to take. The pain had been so intense that she didn't think that anything in the world could rival it—that is, until a voice spoke up from beside her on the beach. She'd never seen his face before, but she would never forget the sound of his voice. She'd known that she'd eventually have to face the demon that had physically tortured her and had nearly killed her in the process, but she never imagined that it would have been so soon and in the one place that reminded her of her home. In retrospect, it was hard to determine which of the two hurt worse: recollecting the pain of being physically tortured by Hojo or the pain of being reminded of a home and family that were more than likely lost forever.

Although the seaside town had stirred some unpleasant and painful memories, she couldn't honestly say that her entire experience had been bad. She could have done without the haunting memories, but facing them had been necessary for what happened next. If she hadn't been drowning in a slow spiraling whirlpool of depression, she and Cloud would have never ended up on that pier together and they would have never shared the moment that they did.

The more she reflected on what had happened, the more muddled her thoughts became. While Cloud's actions the night before had confirmed his feelings for her, they also contradicted them in a way; and she was unsure what to make of the whole situation. It was evident that he cared for her; however, she was still unsure what exactly that meant. Did he regard her as a very close friend, or were his feelings stronger than that? She'd been leaning towards the former up until this morning when she'd caught him staring at her as she was dressing and then suddenly the scale seemed to tip in the other direction.

For some reason, she was having a difficult time imagining Cloud having romantic feelings for anyone, let alone her. His gesture had been so sweet and innocent and she'd loved every second of it, but if Cloud really did have romantic feelings for her, she honestly would have preferred if he had just kissed her. At least then, she would have known for sure how he really felt, instead of being left to wonder what was going on inside that spiky head of his.

Lightning swore that she wouldn't let her mind go there, but she found herself there anyway as she pondered her own feelings about the blonde. She enjoyed the moment that they'd shared the night before and was a little sad when it ended. Despite the fact that he'd only done it to comfort her, she realized that it was one of the very best moments of her life; she'd never felt as content or at peace as she had while in his embrace. She'd accepted the fact that the whole thing was probably just a one-time occurrence between them, but she wondered how she would feel if it were to happen again.

Right now, her feelings about Cloud were blurred. She could discern that she cared about him, but she couldn't seem to push past that to see what was on the other side. She knew that she loved Serah because she was her sister. She knew that she cared for Hope, Sazh, and the others because they were her friends, and she extended that same feeling to the members of her current group. The only person that didn't seem to fit neatly into either of these two categories was Cloud.

She knew that she didn't care for Cloud in the same way that she cared for Serah and she knew that she never would, but tossing him into the other group didn't feel right either. They had been through so much together, so it was hard to assign him the same status as everyone else in the friend category. She knew that he was special to her, but she couldn't figure out what exactly that meant. Processing her feelings had never been easy, and these feelings had been pushed to the surface so quickly that she wasn't sure if she could make sense of them, but she knew that she had to try. If Cloud truly felt this way about her, then she owed it to him to at least attempt to make sense of her own feelings as well.

The main problem with sorting out her feelings for Cloud was that she'd never had any experience in this field and had no idea what any of it was supposed to feel like. Since she'd devoted herself to her military career, she'd never had time for a personal life. Every waking second of her day was spent trying to become the strong and successful parent that Serah deserved, so she'd never even considered the possibility of letting someone divert her attention away from what she felt was most important. To be honest, the idea of being open and vulnerable with another person seemed strange and a little terrifying to her, but she supposed that if she were to take that dive, that she would want it to be with someone like Cloud.

Being forced to grow up at an early age meant that she was ever able to experience the same things that other girls her age did, so she didn't know what it felt like to have a crush or to sit around and fantasize about the type of man that she wanted to marry when she was older. Although she was never able to think about these things, she did know that whomever she ended up with would have to possess a certain set of qualities. He would have to be strong, kind, and selfless; the two of them would have to be compatible: he would have to understand her and possess an inordinate amount of patience; and finally, he would have to accept her and all of her flaws, even when she was at her worst. This seemed like an impossible list, but the more she thought about it, the more Cloud seemed to fit the bill.

It was quite frustrating to know that Cloud potentially had romantic feelings for her and seemed perfect for her in every way, and yet she still couldn't sort out her own feelings for him. It seemed that for once in her life, something really good had landed in her lap, and she had absolutely no idea what to do with it. She wished that she could push the issue from her mind for a while and come back to it later on, but for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about him. It felt strange to admit that the blonde had managed to secure his own personal residence within her mind, but he'd actually been there all along and she just hadn't realized it.

In truth, Cloud had seized her attention from the very first moment that she'd laid eyes on him. She had never seen anything quite like those deep blue eyes that stared back at her aboard that train bound for Reactor no. 1. She quickly found herself hypnotized by them and it seemed nearly impossible to pull away. It was almost as if the two of them connected in that brief moment, and as she gazed into those deep blue orbs, she could see his very soul staring back at her; and who she saw on the inside seemed to be much different than who he appeared to be on the outside.

Everything about the mysterious man seemed to captivate her, from his unnatural glowing eyes to the way he handled himself in battle. Jessie had warned her that he was a former SOLDIER operative, and had even given her a description of what exactly that meant, but Cloud was very different from what she had imagined. She'd almost expected to meet someone similar to the PSICOM elites, but Cloud had even managed to put them to shame. The way he moved in battle and the way he handled that oversized sword with ease seemed to put him in a different class entirely, and the only power in human form that would even stand a chance at rivaling his was that of a l'Cie.

She remembered being so enthralled the first time she saw him in battle that she'd nearly lost her life because of her own carelessness, but in this moment, she got a glimpse of who Cloud truly was. If he had been the heartless killing machine that he was pretending to be, he wouldn't have cared whether she lived or died. Instead, he'd risked his own life to save hers. Lightning never understood what had happened to cause this change in him, but now she couldn't help but wonder if he had felt the same connection that she had felt on the train, and if this had been his driving force all along.

From that moment on, it seemed as if the universe was trying its hardest to push the two of them together. For example, she could have ended up on either side of that platform in Reactor no. 5, but she just so happened to end up on the same side as Cloud. It could have just as easily been Barret or Tifa that fell into the slums that night; instead, it was her. This one pivotal moment seemed to change just about everything for Lightning, and she wondered how differently her life would be right now had she not fallen from that Reactor with Cloud.

She couldn't bring herself to regret her decision to go on the mission that night or even the result of ending up in the slums with Cloud. If none of it had happened, the two of them would never have gotten the opportunity to get to know each other or become as close as they had. It was arguable that Jessie might still be alive if she had been in Sector 7 to protect her. However, if she and Cloud hadn't fallen into Aeris' church, and then gone into Don Corneo's mansion looking for Tifa, Cloud wouldn't have learned about Shinra's plan to collapse the pillar; and Lightning may have died alongside the others while trying to defend Sector 7.

As that thought passed through Lightning's mind, she instantly reflected back on her conversation with Cloud outside of Fort Condor when he'd suggested that she had been sent to this world for a reason. As she considered this possibility, she couldn't help but wonder if there was _someone_ or _something_ behind everything that'd happened after all. Perhaps it was possible that Cloud had been right and everything that'd happened so far had done so by design. If that was the case, it almost seemed as if whatever Lightning's new focus was somehow included the blonde.

Everything that'd happened to her so far on this planet had somehow involved Cloud, and it was getting harder to shake the feeling that something was trying to push them together. The idea seemed crazy, but Lightning was all too familiar with the feeling of being manipulated by higher powers. Not so long ago, she and her friends had all been pushed together to become the instruments of Cocoon's demise and none of them had the slightest clue that a Cocoon Fal'Cie had been pulling the strings all along. Having gone through it once before made Lightning a little more open to the possibility that something was manipulating her and Cloud, and she couldn't deny the feeling that it was for a greater purpose.

This theory explained why the two of them always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and if everything was true, then whoever was orchestrating the whole thing was trying to force them to bond and to trust one another so they could better serve whatever purpose that was in store. That much was evident, but it still did nothing to explain the feeling that she'd experienced the night before or why she'd enjoyed it so much.

While it was true that she'd felt drawn to him since the very beginning, the attraction had only seemed to amplify after she'd woken up in Kalm. At first, she thought that she had chosen to travel with the group in order to be close to the only people on this planet that she knew, but now she was beginning to realize that it was her desire to be close to Cloud that kept her tagging along. As odd as it sounded, she felt as if she _needed_ to be near him and it bothered her not fully understanding why. Blaming it on whatever deity or external force that was now calling the shots seemed like the most logical answer, but Lightning knew that this couldn't be true. These beings could control the world around them, but they had no power over humans and could not manipulate their feelings and emotions.

With that last thought, Lightning began to realize that perhaps the moment she had shared with Cloud the previous night had been holding the answer that she'd been searching for all along. She may have only been brought to this world to be restrung as a puppet alongside Cloud, but she was positive that nothing could have made her feel the way she had felt the night before. She was confident that her attraction and feelings for Cloud were real and had been since the very beginning, and she was certain that _whoever_ was in charge was not responsible for any of this. She knew that the happiness and sense of comfort that she felt with him had come from within, and no external force could have ever made her feel something as strong as that. Finally admitting that she had feelings for the blonde was the easy part. The hard part would be figuring out what to do with them.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey there… so sorry about the delay. This chapter flowed very smoothly up until Lightning's section and then it fought me every step of the way. Normally, I breeze right through her parts, but the struggle was real this time around lol. Anywho, I hope that it turned out all right. I really felt like this 8,300ish word inner monologue chapter was necessary after the last one. We had a really big moment between the Cloud and Light, and I felt like we needed to explore how our 3 main characters are feeling about everything that just happened. This was actually the first time that I'd written Tifa, so I hope that I did a decent enough job. I normally stick to Light and Cloud, but I may start adding a few of the others in there as well just to keep it fresh.**

 **As always, my eternal gratitude goes to Wolf for reading over this and listening to me complain. I really don't know what I'd do without his support! Thank you to all of the readers, new and old. Thanks to everyone who has followed / favorited the story (If you haven't already, please do so. Things are picking up and you don't want to miss something good!), and a very special thank you to everyone who took a few minutes out of their busy day to review chapter 19. Sometimes I feel like a beggar that's holding up a sign saying 'will write for reviews', but I swear they are the best motivation. So yeah… if you're feeling generous and would like to let a girl know how she's doing, please take a minute and drop a review. I love to know that you all care enough about the story to leave feedback :)**

 **Hope you all have an amazing week… Love you!**

 **Lady A**


	22. Chapter 21: Fall Apart

**Chapter 21 – Fall Apart**

The sun was high above them by the time they reached the mountains, and Lightning sighed heavily as her eyes followed the path leading upward into the rocky terrain. The previous day had left her feeling emotionally drained and her body now ached from sleep deprivation and heat exhaustion, but as she took in the challenge before her, she took a small amount of comfort in knowing that she wouldn't be the only one struggling—both Cloud and Tifa looked just as exhausted as she felt. Although the pair of them appeared to be just as worn down as she was, neither of them had complained or had even spoken so much as a word since they'd departed Costa del Sol. In fact, the only people who had made any sort of protest thus far had been Yuffie, who had whined every step of the way, and then there was the occasional curse that came from Barret's direction. As much as Lightning's body begged for rest, she kept pushing herself harder. If both Cloud and Tifa could make it through without complaint, then so could she; there was no way that'd she'd ever be the first to admit weakness.

It didn't take long for her thighs to begin burning as she followed the steep dirt incline further into the mountains. Soon, her legs began to feel as if they had doubled in weight and each step she took seemed to take much more effort than the previous. The combination of heat and physical exertion made her heart feel like it was going to explode in her chest, so she was quite relieved when a river came into view up ahead. The man-made dirt path they had been traveling ended abruptly near the body of water, which left them only two choices—attempt to cross the raging rapids or continue up the steep mountain and through the wooded terrain. The choice seemed obvious, so the group took refuge under the trees. The temperature seemed to drop slightly under the shade, and Lightning had a hard time containing her excitement when Aeris suggested they take a break before continuing their trek over the mountain.

"I'm beat!" Yuffie sighed as she collapsed onto the ground. "How much further do we haveta go?" she asked as she reached up to tug on Lightning's arm.

"How the hell should I know?" Lightning snapped as she yanked her arm away and then retreated to the nearest tree to lean against it.

"I think I'm gonna cross the river," Barret informed them.

"You do that," Lightning replied dryly. "Let me know how that works out for you."

"No one is crossing the river," Cloud stated firmly. "It's too dangerous."

"Any idea what's on the other side of this thing?" Aeris asked as her eyes traveled to the steep wooded path that lay ahead of them.

"I know that one direction goes to Nibelheim, but I think the way that we're heading leads to the desert," Cloud replied.

"The desert!?" Yuffie whined. "Are you telling me that it's gonna get even hotter?"

"You'll be begging for the heat once we make it to the summit," Lightning laughed, causing the ninja to shoot her a dirty look.

"She's right," Cloud grinned. "It's not too late to turn back."

Even though Lightning had jumped at the opportunity to tease Yuffie, she couldn't help but question where their path was leading them as well. Although she had no desire to spend any more time in the blistering sun, it wasn't this possibility that truly bothered her. She was beginning to feel as if they were following breadcrumbs that were leading them nowhere. There was no guarantee that Sephiroth even went in this direction and their only clue to his whereabouts came from a deranged scientist that had tried to kill her. Needless to say, Lightning wasn't overly trusting of any information that this man had to give them.

"Whew!" came a loud exhale.

Everyone looked around in confusion for the source of the unfamiliar voice, and immediately saw a man emerge from the path ahead. The man was middle-aged as evident by his balding head and remaining grey hair. He was dressed head to foot in green coveralls and carried a single trekking pole in his right hand. Lightning couldn't believe that a man at his age would climb this mountain for fun, but she had to admire his passion.

"Hey!" Cloud called, waving the man over to them.

"You're actually talking to me?" the man asked in confusion as he sank down next to a nearby tree.

"What is it?" Cloud responded as he looked at the man questioningly.

"Oh, it's nothing," the man replied as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "I just passed a guy in a black cape back there. I tried to tell him that it's too dangerous up ahead, and he ignored me!"

"Sephiroth…" Cloud muttered to himself as his eyes traveled up the path from which the man came.

"It would probably be wise to keep moving," Red advised. "If he just passed through, we may be able to catch up with him."

"Red's right," Tifa agreed. "Let's hurry on."

"Thanks for the information," Lightning nodded to the man.

"It's dangerous up ahead," the man warned. "Be careful on your way… and if any strangers greet you warmly while traveling, make sure to greet them back."

"We will… thanks again," she replied before hurrying to catch up with the others.

The journey up the steep mountainside proved to be just as much of a challenge as Lightning imagined it would be. She was filled with relief when she saw they were nearing the peak, but as they got closer, she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. She'd expected it to be freezing at this altitude, but the temperature didn't feel like it had dropped a single digit. It was clear by everyone else's confused expressions that they found it odd as well.

"Shouldn't it be getting colder?" Aeris asked in confusion.

"It should be," Tifa replied. "… This is really weird."

"Wait!" Yuffie gasped. "We aren't climbing up a volcano, are we? Why else would it be this hot up here?"

"I'd say this would have something to do with it," Red responded as he suddenly stopped next to a dead tree and peered over the side of the mountain.

As Lightning joined the beast, she suddenly understood why the temperature hadn't changed. Below them stood a mako reactor that was nearly identical to the ones that were powering Midgar, and as she moved closer to the edge of the mountain, she could feel the heat from the structure rising up to greet her. She had never seen a reactor from this angle before, and from this height, it looked even bigger than the plants in Midgar. The monstrosity's core towered nearly as high as the mountain's peak, and its footprint had a circumference that could easily contain a decent sized town within its boundary. A large, white number '27' was painted onto the side of the reactor's core, and Lightning felt her insides twist as she realized that she was looking at the reactor's number. She couldn't help but wonder just how many reactors existed on this planet, and how exactly they were supposed to stop them all.

"At least we won't have to climb down," Red observed as he nodded his head towards a long set of stairs that led down the steep mountainside and ended at the core of the reactor.

"Hallelujah!" Yuffie cried as she rushed for the steps. "I never want to see another mountain again!"

"That makes two of us," Barret added sourly as he stomped over the edge of the mountain to stare the reactor below. Everyone understood Barret's animosity towards everything Shinra, but as he stood there glaring at the reactor, Lightning could almost feel the hatred in the air surrounding him. "I'm goin' on ahead," he grumbled irritably.

"I guess I'll see you all at the bottom," Tifa sighed. "I need to get Barret away from the reactor before he does something stupid."

"That's probably a good idea," Aeris agreed. "I think I'm gonna go on ahead as well."

"This structure doesn't look the most stable," Red stated as his amber eye followed their four comrades down the weathered looking stairs. "Perhaps we should wait until the others are off before proceeding?"

"Sounds good," Cloud agreed. "The whole thing may collapse if we put too much weight on it."

The trio waited until the others were safely off the stairs before stepping on themselves. As they proceeded slowly towards the bottom, the beams supporting them creaked loudly under their weight and the whole structure seemed shake slightly with each step they took. Lightning was happy to reach the bottom, but she couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive as she stepped onto the platform surrounding the reactor.

As they made their way around the core, a bridge, which was bathed in green light, came into view. Upon closer inspection, Lightning was suddenly filled with dread as she realized that the color that was illuminating the bridge was actually mako from below the reactor, and they would have to cross directly over it in order to leave. The uneasy feeling she'd experienced the first time she'd laid eyes on it was still clear in her mind, but that feeling was minuscule compared to the anxiety that overtook her as she stared down at the green substance.

Lightning tried her hardest to keep her eyes forward while crossing the bridge, but she found herself looking down anyway as she neared the end. Suddenly, she felt paralyzed as she gazed at the bubbling green liquid, which looked as if it were about to erupt at any second and swallow her whole. Seeing the substance made every cell in her body burn in agony as she recalled the feeling of Hojo injecting it into her bloodstream. She began to feel very light-headed, almost as if she were asphyxiating on the very air surrounding her. Stumbling to the side, she desperately gripped the railing for support, but strong hands pulled her back up and helped her complete the length of the bridge. As soon as she was far enough away, Lightning collapsed onto her knees and tried her best to regain her breath. Cloud knelt in front of her, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and stared at her with eyes full of worry.

"I-I'm sorry," she managed to get out between breaths. "I, I…"

"It's okay," he assured her as he lifted her chin slightly to look into her eyes. "I'm here."

It still felt odd seeing that kind of emotion reflecting in his eyes, but as Cloud spoke those last two words, his feelings for her became crystallized. There was so much meaning packed into that short and simple sentence and Lightning knew that this was his way of telling her that he was there for her both physically and emotionally; that he would protect her if she needed it and that he would always be there to pick her up if she fell.

In that instant, Lightning knew that there was no one she'd rather have by her side in a moment of weakness than the man right in front of her, and without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. At first, Cloud seemed stunned by her action and Lightning began to wonder if she had perhaps been wrong about his feelings, but a gentle hand resting on her back and soft strokes to her hair immediately dismissed her doubts.

While she sat there with her arms tightly locked around him, she realized that she felt exactly as she did on the pier in Costa del Sol—calm, as if all of the anxiety and pain that she'd just felt had been melted away and replaced with a sense of tranquility. As she listened to his heart beating rhythmically beneath his shirt, she realized that she loved everything about this. It felt as if the two of them were in their own perfect world, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was how her sister felt when she was with Snow. Lightning had never understood the bond that existed between Serah and her fiancé, but she was beginning to...

* * *

Tifa's fatigue was beginning to get the better of her and she let out a deep yawn as she pressed her spine against the cool mountainside. More than anything, she wanted to keep moving, but since the group had broken apart, she had no choice but to wait patiently for others to catch up. It was understandable that the others had fallen a little behind, especially considering how weathered and unstable those stairs were; Cloud and the others were right to be wary of them. Although Tifa's group had a small head start, they hadn't traveled very far, so she couldn't imagine what was taking them so long.

She knew the others were okay and probably hadn't run into any trouble, but she couldn't help but worry. Never in her life had she met anyone who was more prone to accidents and bad luck than Cloud and Lightning. It was as though the both of them were covered in tiny invisible magnets that attracted any type of trouble from a mile away. It was hard to imagine that anything serious could have happened in the short distance they had traveled, but there was trouble, even a little, she was confident that the two of them would find it.

"Whoa!" Yuffie exclaimed as she pointed back at the reactor. "Check it out!"

Tifa spun on the spot and her eyes quickly surveyed the reactor from top to bottom as she looked for anything out of the ordinary. She almost expected to see the monstrosity lit up in an inferno of red flames, but fortunately, this was not the case; the energy plant stood just as ominously and intact as it had when she'd passed through earlier. At first, she was confused as to what she should be looking at, but then her stomach knotted up painfully as her eyes landed on what the young ninja had been referring to.

She would have thought that after seeing Cloud and Lightning on the pier last night that seeing them now would be somewhat easier, but it wasn't. She'd also thought that by accepting Lightning, and more importantly, Cloud's decision to be with her, that all of this would somehow hurt less, but it didn't. In fact, seeing the two of them next to the bridge locked in each other's arms seemed to hurt even worse than what she had witnessed the night before and she didn't fully understand why.

She wanted Cloud to be happy; she wanted that more than anything in the world, and that is why she resolved to stand behind him and support his decision to be with Lightning. However, she knew that she'd be lying if she said that she hadn't secretly hoped that this would fail. Tifa didn't want their feelings to be real and she had silently wished that at least one of them would've woken up today and realized that it'd all been a giant mistake. She knew Cloud well enough though to know that he wouldn't have done what he did unless he really meant it, so she was hoping that it would be Lightning to pull the plug.

It was hard for Tifa to gauge the pinkette's reaction the night before, so it was nearly impossible to tell whether she'd allowed it to happen because she was an emotional wreck at the time or if she welcomed it because she really wanted it to happen. Either way, there was no question in how she felt anymore, and with that realization, Tifa understood why this time hurt more than the last time. Even from where she stood, Tifa could see how tightly Lightning's arms were wrapped around Cloud. She held onto him as if he was her lifeline and she was afraid to let him go. Lightning wanted him to be there for her—to help guide her through whatever was now troubling her, and Cloud was all too willing to answer her call.

Lightning was a friend, and Tifa knew that she was struggling much more than a person should ever have to struggle. It was hard to imagine the pain of losing both a home and a family all at once and being sent to a strange and unfamiliar world; and if that wasn't enough to emotionally cripple her, she had also lost someone she'd grown to care for, and then was abducted and experimented on by the Shinra. It was easy to see why she was falling apart, and while Tifa was happy that someone was there to comfort her, she wished that it were someone other than Cloud.

Tifa couldn't help but feel guilty by that admission, but it was true. She couldn't fathom the physical and emotional hardships that Lightning had endured since arriving on this planet, and while she would never wish that for herself, she couldn't help but feel jealous of the pinkette and the attention that she was receiving from Cloud. Tifa would have given just about anything to be where Lightning was right now—to feel Cloud's arms around her and to feel his fingers running through her hair, but she was beginning to accept that this would never be a possibility so long as Lightning was in the picture.

"Would you look at that," Aeris smiled. "They're so cute together!"

"Ha! I knew they'd end up together," Yuffie clapped in excitement. "Barret, you owe me 20 gil… pay up!"

"You two bet on it?!" Aeris gasped as she looked at them both in disgust.

"'Course we did," Barret grumbled as he pulled the gil from his pocket and begrudgingly tossed it to the smirking ninja. "We all knew the two of them had feelings for each other, I just hoped the two idiots wouldn't figure it out."

"What do you mean?" Aeris asked in confusion. "They're perfect for each other, so why wouldn't you want them together?"

"'Cause it's dangerous," he replied. "We're chasin' after Sephiroth an' those two have their heads up in the clouds. They need to keep their minds in the mission and not on startin' a relationship. This ain't no damn soap opera."

"I don't think it's dangerous at all," she reasoned. "I think it's beautiful. It's about time that something went right for the two of them… and if anything, it gives them more of a reason to fight, don't you think? We all have our reasons to keep going, but the difference between us and them is that we have something worth fighting for and they don't. Do you really think that Cloud and Lightning really care about saving the planet? Cloud is only here because he has a score to settle with Sephiroth and Light is only here to get revenge against the Shinra. If you take away their anger and hate, what do they have left? What do they have to fight for?"

"Shouldn't the planet be enough?" Barret asked. "I'm sure Lightnin' has a family out there, somewhere. I'm sure she has plenty to fight for."

"But she doesn't," Aeris replied softly. "I… I don't even think she's from this planet."

"Spikey's in love with an alien?!" Yuffie gasped. "Wow… this is just getting better and better."

"What d'ya mean not from this planet?" Barret demanded, ignoring the ninja's comment altogether. "She ain't no different than you an' me."

"She talks in her sleep," Aeris explained. "Back in Kalm, when she was sick, she said a lot of… odd things."

"She had mako poisonin' and didn't know what the hell she was sayin'. She was probably havin' all kind of crazy ass dreams," he debated. "That don't make her an alien!"

"She's telling the truth," Tifa inserted, which caused the others to look at her in surprise. "Lightning isn't from this planet."

"How do you know?" Barret asked skeptically. "Did you hear her talk in her sleep as well?"

"No… well, yes, but I also overheard her telling Cloud about her hometown," she explained. "Last night, when I went looking for them, I found them on the pier. I wasn't trying to spy on them, but I overheard their conversation. She was telling him about a place called _Bodhum_ and the two of them were talking about it as if it were the most normal thing in the world. I… I think Cloud has known for a while."

"Well, I still ain't buyin' it," he replied stubbornly. "But let's pretend that what you're sayin' is true and Cloud has known for a while… why hasn't he said anything to the rest of us? Isn't that somethin' that we have a right to know? Why would he keep somethin' like that a secret? Why would he keep that from us… from you?"

"Because…um…" Tifa began, but quickly realized that she didn't want to answer that question. Barret's words had cut her to the core. She knew that Cloud was only trying to protect Lightning by keeping her secret, but it still hurt that he hadn't confided in her with the truth.

"Because it wasn't his secret to share," Red interrupted.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Barret demanded as he spun around to face the red-furred beast. "Are you sayin' that you knew about her, too?"

"I thought it would be polite to give Cloud and Lightning a little privacy. I didn't think they would appreciate being watched and judged," he answered honestly, as his amber eye gave each of them a critical look. "And yes, I've known for a while. The hair and clothes are clear indicators, but there is something else about her that I sensed right away."

"Like what? And what do you mean you sensed it?" Barret pressed.

"It's a smell," Red explained. "Every human has their own distinct scent, but you all share something in common that helps to my kind identify your scent as human—it's in your genetics. I sensed something different about Lightning right away, but it was hard for me to determine if something was really different or if my nose was just being fooled by the immoderate amount of mako that was coursing through her veins. I didn't know for sure that there truly was a difference until the Chocobo Farm. It was then that I realized that her mako enhancements give her a similar scent as Cloud, but there's still a slight difference. It's impossible to know for sure what that difference is, but I do know that it lies in her genetics."

"So, what you're sayin' is that she's just like us on the outside, but different on the inside?" Barret asked as he scratched his in confusion.

"Precisely," Red nodded, "but the difference is small and is probably just the gene that gives her pink hair… It's hard to know for sure."

"Is that why the Shinra targeted her?" Aeris asked. "Do you think they've figured this out as well?"

"That would be my first guess," Red answered, "but that's something that we won't know until we find Hojo."

"Well, I don't like any of it," Barret stated. "If she was hidin' something that big from us, I wonder what other secrets she could be hidin'. Why did she even come here in the first place? All she's done so far is mess with Spikey's head."

"I don't really think she had a choice in the matter," Tifa found herself arguing, "and you know that isn't true."

"Are you tellin' me that you, of all people, support the two of them?" Barret grilled. "And how can you trust her knowing what you know now?"

"I'll always support Cloud," she stated firmly, "and Lightning has never given me a reason to not trust her. She saved my life and… she's a part of this group, so we need to support her, too."

It felt bizarre to be standing here, defending Lightning, and her blossoming relationship with Cloud. Although everything she'd just said was true, she still couldn't shake that feeling she got in the pit of her stomach every time her mind wandered back the memory of the two of them on the pier, when they shared their very first moment. She had never meant to be a part of it, but she had, and in that moment, she saw exactly how Cloud had felt about Lightning. As much as Tifa wished that Cloud had chosen her instead, he hadn't. He's chosen Lightning, and Tifa knew that she had no choice but to support this decision or he would more than likely disappear from her life again, and that was not a risk she was willing to take. She knew that she'd rather have him in her life as a friend than not at all.

"I agree!" Aeris said. "I really want to see more, so don't do anything to mess this up, Barret."

"Yeah," Yuffie agreed. "I want to watch those two idiots make fools of themselves."

"Am I the only person who sees the problem with this?" Barret asked as he looked around the group hoping for someone to support him. "What about you?" he asked as his gazed halted on Red. "What do you think? You're smart, so surely you see the problem here."

"What I see is a person who is alone and lost in the darkness, and another who has managed to find her and become her only source of light," Red observed. "As for what I think… well… it is not my place to decide what is right or wrong for anyone. Only the two of them know can possibly know that. What I do know is that neither of the two would intentionally do anything to jeopardize the group or the mission. Cloud's resolve to stop Sephiroth is as strong as the steel in his sword, and while Lightning's mind is a bit clouded by pain at the moment, I believe that she still knows what needs to be done."

Silence filled the air as Barret processed Red's words. Tifa could easily tell that the beast had somehow gotten through because he didn't seem to have an immediate response. Instead, he just shifted uncomfortably and averted his eyes to the ground as if he were suddenly ashamed of himself and every word that had carelessly poured from his mouth. It was easy to tell that he was feeling guilty—guilty that he had failed to see that a friend was in serious trouble and that he had condemned not only her but also the only person who was making a clear effort to help her.

"I-uh…I don't really know what to say to that," he finally admitted. "…but I'm still not sure that this is a very good idea."

"What isn't a good idea?" Cloud asked as he joined the conversation.

"Uh…I uh…" Barret began as his gaze shifted nervously between Cloud and the pink haired woman that stood beside him.

"It's nothing, really," Aeris quickly covered. "We were just talking about what we're going to do next. Barret was just saying that after seeing the state of those stairs back there that the tracks ahead might be in just as bad of shape. He was thinking that we should find another way… right Barret?"

"Uh, yeah," he agreed as he shot the flower girl an appreciative glance. "I was just sayin' that it doesn't look like these tracks have been used in a while," he continued as he kicked a weathered looking board beneath him, "so I'm not sure that it's a good idea to keep going in this direction."

"I don't really see another way," Cloud responded as he surveyed the mess of tracks before them. "We either keep going or we turn around and go back the way we came."

"I-I dunno," Yuffie objected as she peered over the side of the cliff. "That's a long drop."

"You're not scared, are you?" Cloud teased as he stepped out onto the tracks to take the lead.

"I'm not scared of anything!" she shot back as she bravely followed him. "Okay… maybe a little," she added as she nervously looked down at the ravine below.

To say that Tifa was a little nervous would have been an understatement; she was absolutely terrified as she stepped away from the security of the mountain and onto the railroad track leading over the ravine. Her heart seemed to thump faster with each step she took on the weathered boards and her lungs felt as though they weren't getting enough oxygen despite the fact that it was very breezy at this altitude. Each gust of wind made her feel as though she were about to tumble over the side, and she shuddered at the prospect of falling onto the tracks below, or worse, onto the rocks at the bottom of the ravine.

Her usual strategy for dealing with heights would have been to keep her eyes forward as to avoid acknowledging the substantial gap that existed between herself and the solid ground below. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option this time. As much as she would have liked to take her eyes off the track below her, she knew that one wrong step on the rotted boards would likely result in her death. She had been so focused on her footing that she'd failed to see that the others had stopped abruptly in front of her, and she nearly knocked Yuffie over the side as she collided with her back.

"Hey!" the ninja protested angrily. "Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry," Tifa apologized. "Why are we stopping?"

"The tracks split up ahead," Cloud informed them. "Any idea which way we should go?"

"It would probably be helpful if we knew where exactly we're going," Lightning replied. "Without a clear destination, we could be wandering these tracks for days."

"You're right," he agreed as he turned to properly survey the area. "I don't want to spend any more time up here than absolutely necessary."

"Are you sayin' that we should split up?" Barret asked.

"Just long enough to figure out where each goes," he replied. "I don't like the idea of splitting up, but it does us no good to wander aimlessly. I'll take the top track," he added as he began walking. "Anyone that doesn't mind the height can come with me, everyone else can-"

The rest of Cloud's words were never heard and were instead replaced with a loud cracking sound. Tifa knew what the sound meant from the moment it reached her ears. Without thinking, she lunged forward and prayed that she would be fast enough to stop what would happen next, but time seemed to come to a screeching halt. It felt as if her body were traveling in slow motion and as hard as she tried, she couldn't will herself to move any faster despite the fact that her heart was pounding and she could feel the adrenaline coursing through her body. She had barely made it half way and then suddenly her heart stopped in her chest as she was forced to watch the tracks give way and the person she cared for the most disappear from sight.

"CLOUD!"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry that I've been missing for a while. I wish I had an excuse, but the truth is that I've just been a little unmotivated lately. It also didn't help that this chapter fought me every step of the way. Anyway, I really hope that you all haven't abandoned me :) What did you all think of the chapter? Good… Bad… Meh? I prefer to write from Light's perspective, but I was really liking Tifa after that last chapter. I may start including a bit more from her in the future. I really feel bad for her because she wants to support whatever makes Cloud happy, but at the same time, she can't ignore her own feelings. She's probably one of my favorite characters and I really hope I portrayed her well.**

 **I want to extend my eternal gratitude to Wolf for being the best beta reader in the world, and also for giving me the ass kicking that I needed to finish this thing. Thanks, buddy! I would like to give a big shout out to the reviewers. Without you, I would have given up a long time ago. Your kind words really mean the world to me. With that being said, please don't forget to drop me a few lines to let me know how I did. That really is the best way to get me off my ass and back to writing lol. ;)**

 **Hope you're all doing well and I look forward to hearing from you soon.**

 **Love you all,**

 **Lady A**


	23. Chapter 22: Where Our Story Ends

**Chapter 22 – Where Our Story Ends**

Lightning couldn't breathe. It felt as if numerous invisible walls had rushed up from all directions to meet her and were now squeezing the life from her. She wanted to move forward… to shout… to do something… but the pressure paralyzed her to the spot and forced the breath from her lungs. The harder she willed her body to obey her commands, the harder the invisible walls pushed back against her. The world was still moving around her, but Lightning felt as if she had been frozen in time. She could neither breathe nor move and all she could do was watch—watch as the railroad tracks gave way and the man she had grown to care for so deeply disappear.

"CLOUD!"

Tifa's scream cut like a knife through her invisible prison and Lightning nearly collapsed as the pressure suddenly disappeared. Her legs now felt as if they were constructed of jelly, but she wasted no time in taking full advantage of her recently reacquired gross motor skills. She clumsily lunged forward towards the hole in the tracks where her blonde comrade had previously stood and nearly collided with Tifa, who had done the same.

As Lightning looked through the hole, her heart plummeted into her stomach when she realized that the tracks below had not stopped Cloud's descent. Instead, she saw yet another hole where he had broken through as well. It was difficult to see what was beyond those tracks, and Lightning wasn't certain if there could possibly yet another line of them, if Cloud had fallen directly into the river, or worse, onto the rocks beside it.

"Where is he?" Tifa asked in a calm and even tone.

Tifa seemed to be doing her best to hide her emotions as she stared through the small hole, but Lightning could see right through her facade. The two of them were so close in proximity that they were nearly touching and Lightning could hear the sound of her heart pounding wildly against her chest. She didn't understand why the martial artist would go to such lengths to hide her emotions when they were so clearly waging war within her, but she couldn't help but wonder if Tifa was trying to stay calm for her benefit.

"I-I-I don't know," Lightning stammered as she quickly realized that she was having a much more difficult time in dealing with this than her black haired comrade. "You don't think… You don't think he's-"

It was difficult to finish that question and Lightning felt as if she were going to choke on the words. Just the very thought of Cloud plummeting to his death on the rocks below made her feel sick. She could feel the tears threatening to pool in her eyes and she prayed that she would be able to control them. Instead of allowing herself this moment of weakness, she began to berate herself for not doing anything to help him. Why hadn't she been able to react? She could have stopped this from happening. She was fast enough; she could have gotten to him in time, but instead, she just stood there like an idiot and watched him fall. This was all her fault and she realized in this moment that she was not worthy of Cloud's love.

"Don't go there," Tifa responded sternly as she looked up to meet her gaze. Lightning almost expected to her eyes filled with anger or sadness and she was surprised when she didn't see either of those two emotions staring back at her. Her eyes flickered with confusion at first, almost as if she could read every thought passing through Lightning's mind, and then quickly adopted a warm glow. "He's okay," she assured her. "Cloud's tough. It'll take a lot more than some worn railroad tracks to get rid of him."

"You're right," Lightning nodded. It was hard to imagine a normal human surviving a fall like that, but thanks to his mako enhancements, Cloud was not a normal human. If he could survive a fall from a mako reactor into the slums of Midgar, then he could survive this… right? Lightning didn't have a choice but to accept Tifa's words as the truth because any alternative was too painful to consider.

"So, what do we do?" Aeris asked from behind.

"We look for him," Tifa replied without hesitation as she stood up and surveyed the two paths laid out before them. "The path splits into two directions. These tracks are like a maze, so I'm not sure which path would lead us to the bottom the fastest."

"I'd be willin' to bet that it's the lower track," Barret observed, "but it looks pretty worn. I don't think-"

"Then that's the way I'm going," Lightning replied instantly as she stood up and leapt over the hole that Cloud had left behind.

"Wait!" Barret commanded, causing her to pause. "Have you lost your damn mind? Have you even looked at the state of those tracks? They look worse than the patch Spikey just fell through. Are you tryin' to get yourself killed?!"

"If this is the fastest way to the bottom, then this is the way I'm going," she spat over her shoulder. "We're wasting time. He could be hurt or-"

"Light," Aeris interrupted. "We all want to find Cloud too, but maybe Barret's right. Those tracks look pretty dangerous and if we take that route, we could be risking a fall as well."

"I don't need anyone to tag along," she argued as she spun around to face the others. "I'm more than capable of going on my own."

"You're not going alone," Tifa inserted. "I'm going with you."

"The hell you are!" Barret challenged. "Maybe the two of them could survive a fall like that, but you wouldn't be so lucky."

"I'd like to see you stop me," Tifa countered. "I'm with Light. If that's the fastest way to the bottom, then that's the way I'm going."

"But-" he began, but was quickly cut off.

"It's settled," Tifa said, "Lightning and I will take the bottom track and everyone else will take the top track. Did Cloud have the PHS, or did you?" she asked as she turned around to face Lightning.

"I have it… why?" Lightning answered.

"Keep it," she replied. "Barret, do you still have the other one?"

"'Course I do."

"Good," she responded. "We'll be losing the sun pretty soon, so we'll check in with each other in an hour and see where we stand."

"We'll also need to establish a rendezvous point," Lightning added.

"Right," Tifa agreed. "Any ideas?"

"I think it would be safe to assume that there is a town nearby. Perhaps we should meet there?" Red suggested.

"How do you know that?" Barret asked as he looked at the beast suspiciously.

"Because it makes sense," Lightning answered. "The tracks must lead somewhere."

"That's right," Red nodded. "There were no tracks in the other direction. They begin at the reactor and stretch north. The reactors in Midgar powered the city directly, but reactors in remote locations such as this don't function the same. The energy is harvested and then transferred before it can be put to use. I'd be willing to bet that Shinra was operating out of a nearby town."

"That actually makes sense," Tifa agreed as she scratched her head thoughtfully.

"I dunno," Barret mumbled as he looked at them nervously. "Maybe we should meet back at the reactor and find another way out of these mountains."

"Is there some reason that you don't want to head north?" Tifa questioned. "You've been resisting this every step of the way."

"N-No," he stammered as he quickly looked down at his boots. "Just not sure it's a good idea to waltz right into a town where the Shinra could be waitin'."

"Since when do you avoid the Shinra?" Lightning asked skeptically.

"I'm not avoidin' anyone," he defended. "I was just thinking about Spikey, but whatever, I don't care where we meet," he added as he crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Then it's settled," Tifa stated. "Light and I will check in on the PHS in a bit and we'll plan on meeting at sunset."

"Please be careful," Aeris begged as her eyes slowly moved between the two of them as if she were looking at them for the last time. She looked as if she were about to cry and Lightning really hoped that she wouldn't. They had already wasted enough time, so she could do without having to comfort the emotional flower girl and losing even more time.

"We will," Tifa promised as she hopped over the gap to land next to Lightning. "Ready, Light?"

Lightning gave a simple nod, but the truth was she had never been so ready for something in her entire life. Since Cloud had fallen through the tracks, all she could think of was finding him. It was hard to explain the onslaught of new emotions that had seized her from the moment she saw him disappear, but it felt as if a part of her had disappeared right along with him. It felt as if someone had cut a hole into her chest, and the pain from this new cavity was quite possibly one of the worst feelings that she'd ever experienced in her life. In fact, she had only felt like this once before and that was when her sister had disappeared back on Cocoon. She'd promised herself that she'd never feel this way again, but here she was, being ripped apart once more. Cloud had become an irreplaceable part of her life and she wouldn't feel complete again until he was by her side once more. She needed to find him and she needed him to be okay. She needed to hear his voice once again and to feel his arms around her. _She needed him… she loved him._

* * *

Cloud opened his eyes to stare up at a giant sphere hovering in the sky above him. It was hard to determine whether he was looking up at a small moon or a planet, but something about this image seemed oddly familiar to him. His brain seemed to be filled with fog, but he knew that he'd seen this before or he'd heard about it in a story. It was hard to recall. The orb was beautiful though and it looked as though it had been constructed of light blue crystal. For a moment, he thought that it was falling from the sky until he noticed that it was being supported by a thin pillar of the same crystal substance.

He stared up at that giant orb and admired its beauty for what felt like hours until something caught his eye at the base of the pillar. At first, he thought it was just the sun reflecting off the beautiful crystal, but soon realized that it had actually reflected from something else. As he strained his eyes, he could see five people off in the distance: a young boy with silver hair, a dark-skinned man that had a small child atop his shoulders, a large blonde man in a beige trench coat, and a smaller woman with pale pink hair. Cloud was most certain that he'd never seen any of them before, but something about the small woman held his attention. Something seemed strangely familiar about her and he almost felt as if he knew her somehow. She looked back over her shoulder and he could have sworn that her pale blue eyes were staring right at him. As he took in the details of her face, a small piece of his memory seemed to return to him and he realized that the girl looked like a younger version of…

"Lightning!" he called out.

The girl simply smiled at him and then shook her head before turning back around. Her hand dropped to her side before reaching for the tall blonde's hand, and Cloud felt his insides twist as he stared at their intertwined fingers. Was this man Lightning's boyfriend?

He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he'd failed to notice how dark it'd suddenly become. The sun had seemed to have been eclipsed and the area was now claimed by night. As he looked around, he noticed that the earth was emitting an ominous black smoke that looked as if it had the potential to consume anything it touched. As he returned his gaze to the five people, he noticed that they had stopped walking and the smoke was all around them.

"Watch out!" a panicked voice called from behind, causing him to spin on the spot.

As he turned, the earth suddenly began to shake violently and he saw Lightning running in his direction as fast as her legs would carry her with a look of absolute terror painted on her face as the ground collapsed behind her. The smoke seemed to be reaching out trying to grab hold of her and she was barely a step ahead of it. Without thinking, Cloud sprinted towards her and just as he got close, the ground crumbled from beneath her feet and she leapt in his direction, desperately reaching out for him.

"Help me, Cloud," she begged as he caught her by the wrist and tried his hardest to pull her back to the surface.

"I won't let go," he promised through gritted teeth as he struggled harder to pull her up. She seemed to have quadrupled in weight as the gravity attempted to suck her into seemingly endless hole. The smoke beneath her seemed to thicken and a black hand reached out from the darkness and wrapped its fingers around her neck.

"Get off me," she choked as she let go of Cloud with one hand in an attempt to pry the grip from around her throat.

Cloud could feel his hold on the pinkette slipping as the hand pulled her with a strength much stronger than his own. He inched closer to the edge to regain his grip on her, but the harder he fought to pull her up, the more the force seemed to resist. At this rate, it would end up pulling them both into the depths. Lightning gave him a desperate look, and he knew that she understood this as well as she suddenly relaxed. This was her way of telling him that it was okay to let her go, but he refused. If this mysterious darkness wanted her, then it would have to take him as well. He had lost her once and he'd promised that he'd never lose her again. His mind was set, so in a final effort, he leaned forward and snaked his free arm under hers. He began pulling with all his might but the woman in his arms was suddenly consumed by the smoke and he fell forward into the hole.

He was unsure how long he had been falling. Had it been hours… days… weeks… years? He seemed to have lost all sense of time as he descended deeper and deeper into the abyss. He'd long since given up on making sense of his surroundings. At first, it looked as if he were falling through golden rings with strange patterns, but he wasn't quite sure because his vision seemed to be clouded by the blinding yellow light. The only thing he knew was that as he sank deeper, his thoughts were becoming increasingly difficult to process. His mind was beginning to feel fuzzy and it was hard to determine whether this was a dream or reality. It became hard for him to recall people, places, even memories; and it seemed that the only thing that remained sharp in his mind was Lightning and his desire to find her. The rest wasn't important to him, but he didn't want to lose her. He was unsure what awaited him at the end of this, whether it was death or something much worse. The only thing that he was confident in was that his very last thought would be of Lightning.

His eyes opened sometime later to discover that he was strung out awkwardly on a beach. His limbs protested painfully as he sat up and shook the sand from his spikes. He felt tired, as if all of his energy had been drained from his body. Looking around at his strange new surroundings, he discovered that the place that he'd arrived in was like nothing that he'd ever seen before. It was very dark. The sky was filled with grey clouds and by the look of the scenery, he was willing to bet that it had never once been touched by the sun. No life could be seen anywhere. The beach was empty save for him and was completely silent. Not even the sound of the waves lapping the shore could be heard and Cloud briefly wondered if he had lost his hearing until his first step, crunching the sand under his heavy boot dismissed this fear.

As he walked away from the water, he found himself looking up at a large, equally deserted, and lifeless city. The houses and buildings varied in size and shape. Some of them appeared to be in immaculate condition, while others were in complete shambles. In the distance, he spotted a large structure that appeared to be the focal point of the city. It was probably the tallest building that he'd laid eyes on and would have easily dwarfed the Shinra building back in Midgar. It stretched so high that it looked as if it were touching the heavens above, and Cloud couldn't help but wonder who would possibly reside in such a place.

Now and then, a crimson bolt of lightning could be seen nearby, and Cloud wondered whether the tower itself could be emitting the electricity. For some reason, those beautiful red streaks reminded him of Lightning and the power that had come from her in Junon. He had never seen any materia produced lightning that color, so he couldn't help but think that the electricity that he was seeing now was somehow connected to her. He wasn't sure what had happened to her after she had disappeared, or if that had really been her at all; but as he stared at that tower, he could almost feel her presence radiating from it. It seemed to be calling out to him, begging him to come closer, so without a second thought, he began to make his way towards the structure as fast as his tired legs would carry him.

When Cloud reached the building, he pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside. His skin was immediately assaulted by the ice-cold air and he let out an involuntary shiver as he looked around. The room he'd arrived in was completely empty—there was no furniture, nothing decorating the walls, no rugs lining the floors, and nothing to suggest that anyone had ever lived in or had even stepped foot inside this building before. The only thing this room seemed to contain was a large spiraling staircase that appeared to lead directly to the top.

For some reason, this building made him very nervous. He could sense a power being housed within these stone walls—a power much stronger than he had ever felt before; one that he knew he had no hopes of rivaling. The presence would have been enough to scare even the bravest of warriors away, and Cloud may have turned back as well if it hadn't been for something else drawing him in. He could feel another presence here as well. He couldn't explain how or why he could feel it, but he knew that she was here. He could feel it in his soul and he was going to find her. He would do whatever it took to make sure that she was okay.

"So this is where your heart lies?" a male's voice echoed against the walls.

Cloud spun on his heels and looked around the room in search of the voice's owner, but he found the room was just as empty as it had been when he'd entered. "Who's there?" he called.

"The Historia Crux would have taken you anywhere your heart desired, and yet you chose this place…" the voice continued.

"What are you talking about?"

"You would give up everything for _her_?" the voice asked.

"Where is she?" Cloud demanded. "What have you done with her?"

"…The answers you seek lie above," the man replied.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked as he continued to look around for the culprit, but his question returned nothing but silence.

 _'The answers you seek lie above?'_ he pondered as he began to ascend the stairs. _'The answers to what?'_

Cloud recalled the steps at the Shinra Headquarters being somewhat difficult the night that he and the others had snuck in to rescue Lightning and Aeris, but climbing them seemed ridiculously easy compared to the obstacle that he now faced. It hadn't helped that he had been physically exhausted when he'd started, but as he looked up at the remaining stairs, he began to wonder if his tired body would even be able to make it to the top. He'd felt as if he'd been climbing for almost an hour, and his clothes were now wet and stuck uncomfortably to his body despite the frigid temperature. His legs felt as if they were now composed of lead and there was a nagging sharp pain under his left ribcage.

Pausing for a moment, he brought his hand up to the leather straps that secured his buster sword to his back and considered the possibility of dropping it. It seemed logical. He still had a long way to go and at this rate, he might not make it at all. It would definitely be easier to make the climb without the extra 200 pounds of steel strapped to his back, but if he dropped it and there was danger at the top, he would be weaponless. Was this a risk that he was willing to take with Lightning's life in possible jeopardy? Would he be capable of fighting if he continued like this? Would he even be capable of fighting if he dropped the sword and continued without it? Shaking the damp blonde hair from his face and dismissing the absurd thought altogether, he decided to continue with his trusty weapon. He didn't know what was waiting for him, but if Lightning was at the top of this monstrosity of a building and she was in danger, then he'd need his weapon. No amount of physical pain or exhaustion would ever outweigh his desire to protect her.

When Cloud reached the top of the stairs, he dropped the sword from his back and collapsed onto his knees as he attempted to regain his breath. Looking around, he was quite disappointed to discover that this room was just as empty as the room below except for a large throne that was positioned right in the center. Lightning was nowhere to be seen, and the realization that she wasn't here was met with mixed emotions. He was quite disappointed that he hadn't found her, but at the same time, he was very relieved to know that she wasn't in any imminent danger. He could still feel her presence though. In fact, he could feel it stronger in this room than he had in the one below.

Standing up, he slowly staggered around the room with the intention of inspecting every inch of it. She had to be here. He wasn't going mad. He could feel it, and he was going to find her. As he walked around the room for a third time, he realized that the gravity that he was feeling was coming from the throne. It didn't make any sense. Why would he feel her presence so strongly here—within this stone chair? He fully expected to see her sat atop the stone structure, but the seat was as empty as everything else was in this tower. Was it possible that she was underneath it? Was there something he wasn't getting here? What was he missing?

"You said that my answers were here," he called out in frustration as he looked around for the person who had previously addressed him.

"And they are," the voice replied calmly.

"There's nothing here!" he argued as his eyes continued to dart around the room.

"You're wrong," the voice corrected. "This place is sacred—a realm beyond the living, a resting place for the souls of the dead. Valhalla: home to the one you cherish most."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded angrily. "This isn't Lightning's home. She's never told me anything about this place. Her home is on Cocoon."

"That world no longer exits," the voice stated, "this is where she belongs now."

"Why?" he challenged. "Why does she belong here?"

"…"

"TELL ME!" he shouted.

"You will find out soon enough," the man answered. "Her fate is sealed, but yours is not. Will your love stand in her way or will it help to fulfill her destiny?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe," he answered instantly and truthfully.

"…That is all I need to know."

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She's with you."

"What…?"

Suddenly the ground began to shake beneath his feet, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto his knees. The stone walls surrounding him rattled violently and then collapsed before disintegrating into the same black smoke that had pulled him into this strange place. The world around him rapidly disappeared and he found himself falling once more. For some reason, he had closed his eyes when the world began to crumble around him and now he couldn't seem to reopen them. He felt tired; his head ached and there was a new painful sensation radiating from his left arm, and he wondered if he could have possibly been injured by the falling debris.

Something very cold broke his fall and for a moment he remained motionless as he tried to process what was now happening to him. Suddenly his chest began to burn in agony and he was brought back to his painful reality. His eyes shot open and he saw nothing but blue, which made him quickly realize that he was submerged in water. He remembered everything now. It had all been a dream; nothing that he'd just experienced had been real. He concluded that he must have been knocked unconscious when he'd fallen from the railroad tracks and he'd just landed in the river. Thinking fast, he tried to push himself to the surface, but his legs seemed to be too tired for the task and his left arm refused to obey his commands altogether. He knew in this moment that he was probably going to drown, and that he was going to let everyone down… Tifa, Aeris, Barret, the planet, and… Lightning. He'd be leaving the one he loved the most in this world to face her demons alone.

 _'So this is it?'_ he wondered as he closed his eyes again. _'This is where our story ends?'_

"No, it is not," the voice from his dream answered.

* * *

The sun was beginning to sink beneath the mountains, and Tifa and Lightning were no closer to finding Cloud than they had been an hour ago. They had carefully navigated their way through the mess of tracks, but unfortunately, reaching the bottom wasn't as easy as Tifa had hoped. The condition of the tracks seemed to worsen the lower they traveled, and they had even been forced to detour a few times.

Lightning had been silent for most of their journey. The pinkette hadn't said anything to her at all and if it weren't for the occasional huffs of annoyance or curses under her breath, Tifa would've sworn she had gone mute. She knew that Lightning was hurting. It was easy to see how much she cared for Cloud and how desperately she wanted to find him. Part of her wanted to reach out to the pinkette and offer more reassurance that everything would be okay, but another part of her was too selfish to offer comfort. She loved Cloud and would always support whatever made him happy, but this type of support was difficult. She was glad that Cloud found someone that made him happy, but she still wished that _someone_ had been her.

As torn as she was on the matter, she found it very difficult to dislike or to resent Lightning. Although Tifa felt like the pinkette had swooped in from out of nowhere to steal the man she loved; she knew that it hadn't been an act of malice. Lightning had no idea that Tifa felt the way she did about Cloud, and Lightning never forced Cloud to return her feelings. Tifa had noticed the connection between the two right away, but the truth of the matter was that Clouds feelings had developed long before Lightning's had. It may have started out as innocent curiosity for something new and exciting, but his feelings for her became obvious from the moment that she was taken from Don Corneo's mansion. He may have been blind to them at first, but they had been clear to everyone else.

Cloud seemed to be making no attempt to fight or to even hide his feelings for Lightning, and that's how Tifa knew that this was serious. He had never been the type to display his emotions or even to show that he cared; Impassive, one might call him. Tifa knew him better than that, though. In fact, despite the fact that he liked to shut her out, she felt that she knew him better than anyone ever had. She knew that he cared about things even if he didn't want the rest of the world to know. Take AVALANCHE for example: He may have convinced Barret that he was only tagging along for the gil, but Tifa knew that Cloud had his own motives for wanting to stamp out the Shinra and that he truly identified with what the group was fighting for. She could read him like a book, and if he was openly displaying his emotions for Lightning, that meant that he cared more about her than the dispassionate front that he'd maintained for most of his life.

The more the subject weighed on her mind, the more apprehensive Tifa felt about reaching out to Lightning. It was hard to know that Cloud cared so much for the pinkette, and while she knew that Lightning also cared for Cloud, she was afraid to know just how much. She wasn't sure if this was all just something that was new and exciting for them or if it was quite possibly the real deal. She knew Cloud well enough to know that it was real for him, but she didn't know what exactly it meant to Lightning. To be perfectly honest, she was terrified to find out. She was also afraid that if she delved too much into it that her own feelings for the blonde would surface as well, and that was risk that she would under absolutely no circumstances be taking. No, it was much better to avoid that topic.

"I wonder if the others have found anything?" Tifa asked in an attempt to shake her thoughts from her mind.

"If they had, they would have phoned in by now," Lightning replied.

"It's getting dark. Maybe we should-"

"I'm not going back," Lightning cut her off angrily.

"I wasn't going to suggest that," Tifa shot back with a bit more bite in her tone than she'd planned. So far she had done a pretty good job of suppressing her emotions, but the stress of the day and her nagging thoughts were beginning to take their toll.

"So what were you going to suggest?" Lightning fired back.

It was obvious that Lightning was hurting, so much that she was lashing out at the one person who cared just as much, if not more than she did. Her emotions were beginning to spill over the surface and she was letting them out in the only way she knew how without making herself look weak. Tifa wanted to take the bait; to let out some of her own anger and frustration as well, but she knew that wouldn't get the two of them anywhere. It was clear that Lightning was beginning to unravel and one of them needed to keep a level head if they were ever going to get out of this mess and locate Cloud. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her feelings back below the surface and recomposed herself before making eye contact with the pinkette.

"I was going to say…" she began carefully, "…that maybe we should phone the others and let them know that we won't be meeting them until we find Cloud."

Lightning looked at her in confusion for a few seconds, almost as if she were disappointed that Tifa hadn't taken her bait. She seemed to be lost for words, but finally she retorted with the only thing that she could think of. "I don't need you to stay," she said flatly. "I can find him on my own."

"I know you can," Tifa replied, "but you're not the only one who cares about him. Cloud is my best friend… my brother… I'm not going anywhere."

Lightning said nothing, but simply huffed in annoyance before turning to walk away. Tifa knew that this was probably as close to an understanding as the two were going to get, at least while Lightning was in this frame of mind. She knew that the pinkette wasn't angry with her but rather the situation, and her behavior reminded her of someone else she knew quite well. They really were a lot alike… so alike they could almost be the same person. She knew that when Cloud was like this, it was best to leave him be and let him work through his problems on his own.

"Where are you going?" Tifa questioned as she followed behind the pinkette. "You should really pay attention to where you're stepping. These tracks are really worn. You might fall."

"So what if I do?" Lightning asked. "Obviously Cloud is not on the tracks or we would have found him by now. He's not up here, which means that he's below."

"We don't know that for sure," Tifa reasoned. "He could still be on the tracks."

"You don't use your eyes, do you?" Lightning shot back. "He broke through the second set of tracks but there wasn't a hole in the third, which means that he hit and rolled over the side. He's down there!" she added as she angrily pointed her index finger over the side of the railroad tracks.

Tifa was lost for words. The more she thought about it, the more Lightning's assessment made sense. If there wasn't a third hole below where Cloud had fallen, that meant that he probably had rolled over the side and onto the rocks or into the river below. She had been hoping to find Cloud safe and sound, but now that possibility didn't seem likely.

"What are you thinking?" she inquired as she watched the pinkette curiously. Lightning had stepped to the edge of the rail and was now peering over the side. "You're not thinking of jumping, are you?"

"It isn't that far of a-"

"No," Tifa replied sternly. "We're closer, but it's still too far."

"It's not your decision to make," Lightning argued. "And besides, you're coming with me."

"Are you crazy?!" Tifa fired back. "You might survive it, but I wouldn't. I'm not like you and Cloud."

"You don't have to be," Lightning replied. "Just trust me on this," she added as she rummaged around in her thigh pouch and then produced a small metallic handheld device. "See those rocks below us?" she asked as she placed the device in Tifa's hand. "Aim for the large one with the flat surface."

"Aim for the rocks?!"

"That's a Grav-Con unit," Lightning continued. "After you jump, squeeze it and it'll create an anti-gravity field to slow you down. I promise, you'll be fine. I've used it hundreds of times."

"A Grav-Con unit?" Tifa inquired as she turned the small device in her hand to inspect it. "Where you get-" She stopped that question dead in its tracks and stared hard at the device. She knew where Lightning had gotten the gizmo. It was just as strange and foreign as the weapon that dangled from the holster behind her. It was from her planet.

"Cocoon," Lightning answered truthfully. "I live in a city called Bodhum on a planet called Cocoon. I am a sergeant in the Guardian Corps. there, and that Grav-Con unit was issued to me on enlistment. I'm not from this world, Tifa."

"I know you're not," Tifa replied quietly causing the pinkette to look at her in surprise.

"How did you-"

"You talk in your sleep," Tifa replied with a half-smile. "And besides, you kind of stick out a bit."

"That obvious, huh?" Lightning replied dryly. "Do the others know?"

"Yeah," she answered honestly. "But we don't think any less of you. We want to help," she added on quickly.

"You can help by trusting me," Lightning responded. "Aim for that rock. About half way down, squeeze the unit and it'll activate. Oh, and take this," she added as she pulled the PHS from her pocket and passed it over.

"What about you?" Tifa questioned as she reluctantly took the phone, fearing the worst for her pink haired comrade.

"I only have one Grav-Con unit," Lightning answered, confirming Tifa's suspicions. "You take it. I'll go down the tracks a bit and aim for the water."

"But you could get hurt," Tifa tried to reason. "I'm sure there's another way."

"I've had worse falls…" Lightning assured her. "…and without mako enhancements," she added on with a slight chuckle. "I'll be fine. I'm tired of messing around with these tracks and this has been our most promising option yet. I say we take it. We've wasted enough time. Let's go find Cloud," she added as she turned her back and began to walk down the track in search of a suitable place to jump.

"Lightning!" Tifa called causing the pinkette to pause. She had tried to convince herself over the course of the day that she didn't want to know, but her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. The question had been nagging her and now she needed to know; she needed to know the truth before she saw the two of them together again. "…..Do you love him?" she asked as she swallowed her nervousness and fixed her gaze on the pinkette.

Lightning turned around and mako blue met crimson. Lightning looked confused at first almost as if she was surprised that Tifa would ask such a thing, and then her face adopted a more serious expression. She looked as if she were trying to decide whether she wanted to trust Tifa with the truth, and in that instant, Tifa knew she had her answer. Lightning's expression softened and she took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I think I do," she finally responded.

Tifa swallowed hard and then broke eye contact to stare out over the ravine. She had been terrified of this answer. Admittedly, it hurt, but it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. She loved Cloud and probably always would. It hurt to know that she'd lost him to Lightning, but the truth of the matter was that she'd actually lost him eight years ago when he'd set off to join SOLDIER. She'd known deep down that nothing would ever be the same if she let him walk away from Nibelheim, but she couldn't bring herself to stop him. She had loved him enough to encourage him to pursue his dreams, but not enough to beg him to stay. Maybe that meant that she truly didn't love him after all. Or maybe their love had been a different kind of love all along.

"Good," Tifa replied as she returned her gaze to the pinkette. "Then take care of him," she added with the most believable smile that she could muster before turning to peer over the edge again. "Well, here goes nothing," she said nervously as she stuffed the PHS in her pocket and then tightly gripped the Grav-Con unit in her right hand.

As Tifa dived over the side of the track, she felt temporarily weightless as her body adjusted to the fact that gravity was no longer holding her to the surface of the planet. She had never enjoyed the sensation of free falling. She'd never cared for the feeling that it produced in her stomach and she despised that it seemed to initially rob her lungs of air. As soon as she managed to get her breathing under control, she realized that she was a little over half way to the rock that Lightning had instructed her to land on. Squeezing the device firmly in her hand, she felt her body immediately slow down as if it were suddenly being tugged in the opposite direction. As she got closer, she pulled her legs towards her face in order to flip herself over to the correct landing position and then slightly bent her knees to absorb the shock of impact. Thanks to the fact that she had been slow to activate the Grav-Con, her feet made contact with the ground a little more harshly than intended and she felt the shock of the collision radiate throughout her entire body.

As the Grav-Con's power faded, Tifa's achy legs gave out and she collapsed onto the rock. Looking back up, she saw Lightning dive from the tracks and a few seconds later, land in the water nearby. A few more agonizing seconds passed and Lightning still hadn't surfaced, and Tifa really began to worry about her pink haired comrade. A million thoughts flooded her mind as she frantically began to pull herself to the side of the rock in preparation to jump into the water after the pinkette. It was too far of a drop. She should have never let her do something like that. If Lightning hadn't surfaced yet, that meant that she was seriously hurt... or worse. And what would Tifa tell Cloud once she found him? How could she possibly tell him that she basically let the woman that he loved jump off a cliff? He would never forgive her for that and if something bad happened to Lightning, Tifa wouldn't forgive herself either.

Tifa shakily rose to her feet and was just about to jump out into the water when Lightning's head suddenly broke the surface. Tifa was immediately flooded with relief at the sight of the pinkette, but it was short lived as soon as she noticed that Lightning seemed to be struggling to stay afloat. Without hesitation, Tifa dived into the water and paddled as fast as her sore body would allow. As she reached the pinkette, she snaked an arm around her and helped support her.

"Are you okay?" Tifa asked with genuine concern.

"Never better," Lightning replied sarcastically as she coughed up a bit of water from her lungs. "It… it was… a little higher than… I expected."

"You think?" Tifa replied sternly as she struggled to keep the two of them above the water. "I told you that it was too high. Neither one of you ever listens to a thing anyone tells you. Can you swim?"

"I-I think so," she stammered. "I-I'll be fine. It's just… hard getting over… the initial shock of hitting the water… from that height."

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah… just need… just need to catch my breath," she replied as she took a few deep breaths to fill her lungs. "While I was falling, I saw a beach… or something… in between the rocks over there…. Maybe we should head that way?"

"Good idea," Tifa agreed. "If Cloud fell down here, that's probably where he ended up. You sure you're okay to swim on your own?"

"I-I'm alright," Lightning assured her as she pulled herself free. "All better."

Tifa wasn't completely convinced, but she didn't press any further. Instead, she decided to keep a close eye on the pinkette as to avoid any more arguments. The two of them slowly swam for the break in the rocks that Lightning had pointed out and as they got closer, they discovered that it was in fact, a small beach. They both seemed to struggle a bit with the waves as they approached, but took care not to get pushed against the rocks. As they finally managed to drag themselves ashore, they both collapsed onto the sand in exhaustion.

"I-I never want to see another body of water for as long as I live," Tifa complained as she looked back out at the water with pure hatred.

"I'd agree, but that'd make it really hard to go home," Lightning replied as she brushed the pink matted strands away from her face.

"You want to go home?" Tifa asked with a mix of confusion and anger. "What about Cloud?"

Lightning opened her mouth to respond, but was suddenly cut off.

"What do you two think you're doing? Jumping from that high!" a middle-aged man with dark brown hair yelled as he sprinted toward them. "I swear, kids these days," he grumbled, as he got closer. "Well, at least I didn't have to fish the two of you out of the water like I had to do for that other kid."

 _Cloud!_

"You found him?" Tifa gasped. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

"I reckon he'll be alright," the man replied as he looked between the two of them. "Poor feller broke his arm in the fall though. I take it you're friends of his?"

"Where is he?" Lightning demanded as she hastily got to her feet.

"He's resting in my cave," the man answered. "He's been out for hours now. You sure the two of you are okay? You don't look very well."

"We're fine," Lightning replied dismissively. "Just take us to him."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey! Is anyone out there still reading this thing? Sorry that it's taken me a while to update. Life's been keeping me pretty busy lately. I hope the length of this chapter made up for my long absence.**

 **Not gonna lie, I struggled with this chapter quite a bit. It was one of those things where I wanted the group to separate so that I could focus on how each of our primary three characters were feeling and also to force Light and Tifa to spend some one on one time together, but once I got to that point, I had no idea what to do next lol. I really enjoyed writing Cloud's dream. That actually wasn't something that I'd had planned, but I really wanted to write a section from his perspective and that's what came out. I had fun with it and it'll actually tie in quite nicely with the plot of this story as well as the next two. Oh wait… have I made that announcement yet? I can't remember lol. I'll Never Forget is the first installment in a trilogy. Most of the plot for the second story has been mapped out as well as a bit for the third. I'm pretty excited about it!**

 **Anyway… I would like to extend my eternal gratitude to Wolf for reading over this thing and making sure that it was up to standard. Would like to also say thanks to all those who reviewed chapter 21 as well as those who've sent me PM's checking in on me. I am, in fact, still very much alive ;P Sorry if I've worried anyone. Thanks so much for reading! Please take a few minutes to review the chapter to let me know how I did and to also to let me know that there's still interest in this thing. I promise that if there's still enough interest that my updates will become more frequent again, but you have to let me know. :)**

 **Hope you all are well,**

 **Lady A**


	24. Chapter 23: Claire

**Chapter 23 - Claire**

* * *

 _You would give up everything for her?_

 _"Hmm…?"_

 _Your life… your friends… Tifa… you would give it all up for a woman you just met; a woman that doesn't belong in this world._

"What are you talking about?"

 _You don't remember the promise you just made?_

"Promise… The dream?"

 _That was no dream and you've just agreed to commit the ultimate act of betrayal._

"Betrayal? What are you talking about? What was that place? And who was speaking to me?"

 _So naïve… I suppose you'll find out soon enough…_

"No. Tell me now!"

 _….Why don't you ask Claire?_

"Claire…?"

* * *

Tifa gazed down at the blonde with eyes full of worry. She and Lightning had only just arrived a few minutes ago to find Cloud exactly the way the man had described him: unconscious and with a fractured arm. Luckily, she had her cure materia, so mending the broken bone was no trouble at all. She was more concerned about infection since the bone had broken through his skin and then exposed to the dirty river water, but fortunately Lightning just happened to have the solution in the form of a heal materia. The obvious wounds that the blonde had sustained were easily treated within a matter of seconds, but they wouldn't know the full extent of his injuries until he woke up.

After they'd done all they could for Cloud, the two of them stood in silence over their friend. Both of them seemed to be torn on what to do next and whether they should try to wake their sleeping friend or allow him a bit longer to recover. Ideally, Tifa would have wanted to give him as much time as he needed to heal, but she knew that staying in this cold and wet cave was not an option. It was getting very late; the sun was now lost beneath the mountains and the others would soon be worried. The PHS had been damaged when she'd jumped into the water after Lightning, so now she had no way of contacting the others. She just hoped that they were smart enough to stay put at the nearest town and hadn't ventured back out on to the tracks in search of them.

Tifa glanced over at Lightning, who shifted slightly as she stared down at the sleeping blonde. It was obvious she was battling a mess of emotions over seeing Cloud in this state. Tifa wasn't sure what Lightning's life was like back on Cocoon or if she had friends or a family aside from her sister, but it was obvious that she didn't deal well with stressful situations like this. From the moment that Cloud had fallen from those tracks, she had forsaken her calm and calculating soldier mentality and had begun behaving recklessly. Now she stood over him, anxiously playing with her fingers and looking at him as if she hadn't a clue as to what she should be doing. Tifa had nothing but empathy for the pinkette; she understood the feelings of anxiety and helplessness as Cloud continuously put himself in danger, but she knew something that Lightning didn't. She knew these feelings would always be the price for loving Cloud Strife.

"Claire…?"

Tifa jerked her eyes away from Lightning and fixed them back onto Cloud who had just muttered something in his sleep. His voice had barely been more than a whisper, but she was positive that she hadn't misheard what he'd said. He'd mumbled a name—a woman's name that she was quite certain she'd never heard before. She racked her brain in search of an answer, but she came up short. There hadn't been anyone by that name that had resided in Nibelheim nor had there been anyone by that name in Sector 7. Since Cloud was a child, he had never been very social, but he had been even less social since his arrival in Midgar. He'd mostly kept to himself, and only interacted with others when it was absolutely necessary. Tifa was nearly one-hundred percent certain that he hadn't met this 'Claire' individual since the two of them had reunited a year ago, so she had to be someone that he'd met in the time between.

Was it possible that Claire had been a friend or maybe even a girlfriend? Cloud hadn't really discussed what he had done in the years that he was absent, so Tifa had to rely on her imagination to fill in the gaps. All she knew was that he had left Nibelheim to achieve his lifelong dream of joining SOLDIER and then she didn't see or hear from him again for seven whole years. Anything could have happened in that amount of time. Maybe he had met this woman while he was living in Midgar. Maybe she had worked for Shinra as well. Perhaps he had met her on a mission. Could she possibly be the reason that he left Shinra; the reason he now despised the very corporation that he dreamt of joining? Could she be the reason that he refuses to talk about the time he was absent? Whoever she was, Tifa knew that this woman had to have been important to him at some point. Why else would he mutter her name?

Tifa glanced up at Lightning who was now standing rigidly on the opposite side of Cloud's bed. It was clear that she was just as stunned by what had come out of his mouth. She was paler than usual; her face had been rapidly drained of what little color it normally contained and her fierce mako blue eyes pierced into Cloud as if she were demanding an immediate explanation for his transgression. Tifa had been so caught guard herself that she hadn't even stopped to consider how Lightning was feeling right now. The name gave life to a million questions in Tifa's mind, but she couldn't even begin to imagine what was going on inside Lightning's head at this moment. She had only recently sorted out her feelings for the blonde and now she was likely feeling the sting of betrayal.

Tifa opened her mouth to speak, but she found herself lost for words. She knew that it was only a matter of time before Lightning redirected that burning gaze to her; but Tifa didn't have the answers that Lightning would be searching for. She was just as confused as pinkette and could offer no insight into who this woman was or what her relationship could possibly be to Cloud. She could attempt to explain this to Lightning, but it was unlikely that she would believe her; the pinkette would probably think that she was defending him or withholding information. She felt so helpless and this really irritated her, so much that she briefly considered lunging forward and angrily shaking the blonde awake to demand her own explanation. Instead, she just stood there in silence and dropped her gaze to the floor of the cave.

It was hard enough that she had lost him in the first place all those years ago. He had promised to come back to her that night at the well, and afterwards, there wasn't a day that past by that she didn't think about him and wonder how he was doing. In fact, he was the reason that she decided to stay in Midgar after Sephiroth destroyed Nibelheim. It had been years before he finally turned up, and when he did, it was clear that things between them would never be the same. Cloud had changed. He no longer saw her the way he did before he set out on his journey for greatness. She'd hoped that maybe time would reverse this and he would learn to love her again, but when Lightning appeared, she knew deep down inside that he would never feel that way for her again. Losing him a second time hurt just as badly as losing him the first time, but the thought that she had waited around for years while he had found happiness with someone else made her feel sick.

 _Do I really want to know after all?_

* * *

Lightning let out an involuntary shiver as she stood beside Cloud's makeshift bed that the man had provided for him. The sun had finally gone down and its absence left a chill in the air that carried into the small cave and assaulted her still damp skin. She and Tifa had only arrived a few moments ago and after they tended to Cloud's injuries, they had nothing left to do but wait for him to wake up. It was difficult to know if he had any injuries past what they could see on the surface, and not knowing was making Lightning very apprehensive.

She had always been good at hiding her anxiety in stressful situations, but there was something about seeing Cloud laying in front of her and then facing the uncertainty of whether or not he would be okay that caused the dam to break and the repressed feelings to spill over onto the surface. As hard as she tried to fight it, she couldn't stop herself from reflecting back to the last time she had been in this position. It had been six years since her mother had passed away, but she knew she would never forget the way she had felt leading up to it. After her mother became ill and then hospitalized, Lightning lived in a constant state of fear and uncertainty. During this time, all she could do was wait—wait for her mother to get better or wait for her and Serah's lives to be flipped upside down. She hated this feeling and knowing that whatever happened, for better or worse, was out of her hands.

Sickness, injury, and death were a part of life and Lightning had come to accept that over the past several years. If she had learned anything at all from her mother's death and her time in the military, it was that life was unpredictable and control of it was just an illusion. She understood that she could never be truly prepared for some of the curveballs that life would throw her way and the only thing she could do was attempt to control herself and adjust quickly so that she wasn't knocked out by them. This was a lesson that Lightning had learned well, but it still didn't make dealing with the unexpected any easier and it didn't make it hurt any less.

There are no words that could possibly describe the pain of losing someone you love. Lightning had gone through that twice and it was something that she wasn't ready to go through again. She loved her new families that she had acquired on this planet and her own and losing any one of them would be devastating, but losing Serah or Cloud would absolutely destroy her. It was precisely this realization that made seeing Cloud in this state all that much harder for her to endure. He had become such an essential and critical part of her existence. She loved him and just the very thought of never being able to explore where that love might take them was almost too much to bear. All this waiting was driving her insane with fear. She needed something, a sign, anything, to put her nerves to rest; to reassure her that he was going to be okay… that the two of them would have a chance…

"Claire…?"

Lightning stared down at Cloud in disbelief. What had escaped his lips while he slept was something that she never in a million years had expected to hear nor was it the sign that she had in mind. At first, she thought that she may have misheard him, but she knew that wasn't the case. He had mumbled a name—her name; a name that he had no way of possibly knowing. She continued to stare at him in hopes that he'd either wake up and explain himself or at least mumble something else, but he remained mute as if he had never spoken in the first place.

She stood there in silence as she tried to process and make sense of what had just happened, but there was no logical explanation for how Cloud knew her real name. She was quite certain that she had never told him. In fact, she hadn't told anyone on this planet. Aside from Cloud, the only person on Gaia that she had been close to had been Jessie and she hadn't even known. There were only six people that knew her true identity and all six of them were either on Pulse or suspended in crystal stasis. Not even Lieutenant Amodar or any of her superiors in the military had known her true name as she had enlisted under the alias 'Lightning Farron'.

The name Claire was one that she had given up after her mother's death; a name that only served as a reminder of the childish vulnerabilities and weaknesses that she fought so hard to shut out. In order to grow into the strong provider that Serah needed, she had to eliminate of that part of herself; she needed to kill Claire in order to make room for Lightning. That was the only way the two of them had a chance of staying together and surviving, and it was a decision that she could never regret so long as her sister was safe and happy.

In the beginning, Serah struggled with accepting _Lightning_ as her sister's self-given name. She even objected for a while, but after a few weeks and several 'slip-ups', she finally gave in and accepted that Claire had indeed been replaced by Lightning. She began to respect Lightning's wishes and ceased calling her by her birth name in public and even in the privacy of their own home when it was just the two of them. Serah gave her the nickname 'Light', and with this new name, the name Claire vanished as if had never existed in the first place.

It wasn't that Lightning hated the idea of people knowing her true name. Maybe that had been the case when she was younger and working hard to create her new and stronger identity. She wanted so desperately to destroy her vulnerabilities and weaknesses, and even the slightest reminder of them angered her. She needed the hardened exterior that Lightning provided—to protect Serah and to protect herself. She had maintained Lightning's cold persona for years, never allowing anyone to see anything other than what she wanted them to see. She shut out the entire world in order to protect herself, and had only recently realized the error of her ways. It took losing her sister and then facing her own fate as a l'Cie to really open her eyes and to help her accept that even the strongest people need a little help sometimes.

As Lightning stood there staring at Cloud, she could feel Tifa's crimson gaze burning into the top of her head. The black haired woman was waiting for a reaction from her, but she didn't dare break her eyes away from the sleeping blonde. She couldn't help but wonder if Tifa knew her real name as well. Was it possible that they all knew it? Both Tifa and Aeris had mentioned that she had spoken in her sleep while she was suffering from mako poisoning—that's how they had known about Serah and had pieced together that she wasn't actually from this planet. She wondered if it was possible that she had mentioned her own name at some point while she was unconscious.

The idea of mumbling her own name didn't seem very likely, so she had consider the possibility that it may have been information that Hojo had tortured out of her while she was in captivity. Perhaps he had gotten her to open up while he was performing his little science experiment on her and had recorded everything she said in his notes. Maybe the others had stumbled upon these notes while they were searching for her and had learned her true name. It was entirely possible. Lightning had no recollection of most of her time in the Shinra building and the few memories she could recall were fragmented and so distorted that she wasn't sure if they were real or hallucinations. In fact, there was only one memory that she knew to be true that had remained completely intact, and that was the memory of a heartbeat and opening her eyes to see the face of Cloud Strife hovering above her as he carried her to safety. Aside from that, she could only recall bits and pieces such as being cold, feeling pain, seeing a blinding bright light hovering above she laid, and of course, the dreams of her sister that plagued her every time she closed her eyes. It was entirely possible that she had given Hojo everything he wanted to know about without even realizing it. She just wondered how much he and the others possibly knew about her.

Lightning eyes finally broke away from Cloud and raised to lock onto Tifa. She'd fully expected Tifa to be staring right back at her, but her crimson eyes were now fixed on the floor as if she were deep in thought, trying to sort out some emotional conflict of her own. Lightning couldn't fathom what could be troubling her so much. She knew that Tifa had feelings for Cloud, that much was obvious; but the two of them had discussed this just prior to finding him. She thought that Tifa had accepted it, but now she acted as if she were truly bothered that he'd mumbled Lightning's name during his sleep.

"Tifa," Lightning said causing the black haired woman to look up nervously. Lightning had expected to see a mixture of emotions in her comrade's eyes ranging from hurt to anger, but the last thing she expected was for Tifa to avoid her gaze altogether. It seemed as though she were afraid of what Lightning would say or do next.

"Light, I-" Tifa began, but was suddenly cut off by movement and a soft groan from between them. Cloud was waking up!

"Cloud," Lightning said softly, hoping that her voice would be enough to rouse the blonde from his sleep. "Cloud, can you hear me?"

"Claire?" he mumbled again groggily as his eyes slowly opened and stared blankly at her face.

"Who's Claire?" Tifa asked, lowing herself to Cloud's level. "Cloud, who are you looking for?"

Cloud broke his gaze away from Lightning and shifted it to Tifa in confusion as if he didn't fully comprehend what she was asking. He didn't seem to understand what he had just said or even who the two of them were for that matter. He was in a complete state of somnolence. That's when Lightning realized that he hadn't a clue what he was talking about; he had absolutely no idea who Claire was. In fact, neither of them did. It completely baffled Lightning that he would call out that name twice in his sleep, and yet didn't know that it belonged to her. He had obviously heard it somewhere, but it was clear that even he didn't seem to recall where.

"Tifa?" he asked in confusion as he continued to stare at his oldest friend. "W-Where am I?"

"You fell," Tifa informed him as she looked at him through worried eyes. "You stepped on some weathered boards and fell from the top of the railroad tracks. Lightning and I were so worried. We thought you'd-"

"Lightning!" he interjected as his eyes quickly darted away from Tifa and then landed on Lightning as if he had only just realized that she was stood beside him.

"I'm here," she replied as she sank down to his level and accepted his outstretched hand. The fact that his mind had immediately switched to her when Tifa mentioned her name meant a lot. In a sense, it proved just how much he cared because she was the one that he wanted to see after waking up. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.

"I am now," he replied as he pulled her into an embrace.

Cloud's warmth was a welcomed contrast to her cold and damp skin. She laid her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat as she did her best to control her emotions. As each time before, it felt like every cell in her body had ignited at his touch as if every single one of them had been craving him. It was a strange, yet powerful sensation that she didn't quite understand, but she couldn't seem to get enough of it. She loved feeling this way and while she knew that everything would be okay now, she still couldn't shake away the nagging fear that had stalked her from the moment Cloud had fallen through those tracks. She truly feared losing him and it really hurt to know that she almost had, and before she knew it, the tears were spilling from her eyes and seeping into his black turtleneck.

"I-uh, think I'll wait outside," Tifa said softly as she got up to exit the cave. "…I'm gonna see if our host has anything that can help fix our PHS so I can call the others."

Lightning knew that Tifa had only left out of respect for their privacy and she was eternally grateful for her consideration. She had never been the best at dealing with her emotions when they finally managed to work their way to the surface and she absolutely despised letting anyone see her in such a vulnerable and weakened state. She was glad that Tifa recognized and understood that. She knew that Cloud was the only person who could help her right now, and while it went against everything that she normally stood for, she actually wanted him to see this side of her. He had called out for Claire and that seemed to be exactly who had answered…

* * *

Cloud ran his fingers through Lightning's damp pink locks as she continued to sob into his chest. The two of them had remained in silence for what had felt like eternity. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but he knew that no words could truly remedy the mental torture she had likely gone through after his fall. He didn't know what had happened to him after he carelessly stepped onto that worn patch of wood or even how long he'd been in the cave. Had he been laying here for hours… days? How long did she have to look for him; wonder if she'd find him alive; stare at him while he was in this state; and wonder whether he'd ever wake up?

He was all too familiar with this sort of pain, having gone through it himself after the Shinra took her from Don Corneo's mansion. The emotional pain of losing someone you truly care for was crippling and he hated that he had been the source of Lightning's pain. She had been through enough without his added stress. It was a miracle the woman was still functioning at all having gone through what she did as a l'Cie and then being ripped from her home, family, and friends, and then dumped into an unfamiliar world, only to be captured and experimented on. If all this wasn't enough, she'd also lost the first person on this planet that she'd bonded with and then nearly lost the second as well. It was much more than anyone should ever have to endure and the fact that she was still moving forward and not succumbing to the pain was a testament to her strength.

He hated that he had caused Lightning so much fear and anxiety to the point that it had broken her down, but he would have been lying if he said that he hated every bit of it. In truth, he loved the closeness he felt whenever she was in his arms. Regardless of what had put her there, it was a feeling unlike any other he'd ever experienced before. It made him feel warm inside, as if her touch had somehow managed to awaken every cell in his body, and it felt as if his very soul was reaching out to embrace hers. He'd never felt connected to another person than the way he did to Lightning, on both a physical and mental level. It was if they were two halves, desperately trying to become whole again.

What they shared was young, and while he couldn't fully describe the feeling that her touched evoked from within him, the one thing he was truly certain of was that he was in love with this woman and he never wanted her to disappear from his life. He knew that was a selfish desire, but he couldn't help feeling that way. His life had been dark, empty, and meaningless before she walked into it. She quickly became the light in his sea of darkness and soon she had filled his whole life with that light, making it all seem worthwhile again. That light that she provided for him now seemed necessary for his existence, and he couldn't imagine going back to a dark world in which she did not exist. He needed her, just as she needed him, and that is what continued to feed his selfish desires to be with her, whether that was on this planet, her planet, or even in that dark and empty place that he'd dreamt about. None of it mattered so long as the two of them were together.

 _That reminds me…_

The image of the abandoned city quickly resurfaced in his mind and the haunting voice that he'd heard still chilled him to the bone as he recalled what had been said to him. It had said that she belonged there, in Valhalla, a realm of the dead; but that didn't make any sense. Lightning was not dead… not even close. He could feel her heart thumping though her ribcage, her warmth against his skin, and the rise and fall of her chest as she inhaled and exhaled the air. She was very much alive. So what had the speaker meant by that statement? Was it a warning? Was he suggesting that something bad was going to happen to her? He'd seemed overly concerned with her safety and getting a commitment that Cloud would protect her, so it had to be a warning of some sort.

He'd known he was dreaming the entire time he was there, and it would have been easily dismissed and then forgotten if it hadn't been for the voice speaking to him again when he came to under water. It was hard to know if he had been hallucinating from being so close to death, but he distinctly recalled hearing the voice again. It spoke to him as he was drowning and then suddenly he was at the surface of the water despite the fact that he was not making an effort to swim. Someone had saved him from a certain death before the angler had even caught sight of him.

He wanted so badly to mention this to Lightning, to ask if she had any ideas about who the voice could possibly belong to, but he didn't dare. She had been through enough today as it was without him adding even more stress by telling her about his ludicrous dream and the ominous voice that warned of her impending fate. The whole thing seemed silly enough, so he didn't see the need to worry her. The voice was wrong. She was alive and well, and as long as he was beside her, she'd stay that way. He would never allow anything or anyone to hurt her, not so long as his heart was still pumping and there was air in his lungs.

 _Why don't you ask Claire?_

The second voice was a familiar one that he couldn't place no matter how hard he tried. He seemed displeased with the promise that Cloud had made in Valhalla and had accused him of 'the ultimate act of betrayal'. Cloud was unsure what had been meant by that. What or who could he possibly be betraying by protecting the woman that he loved? It didn't make sense, but when he had questioned it, the voice had suggested that he ask 'Claire'. He didn't know anyone by that name nor had he ever. It was clear that Tifa was just as puzzled over whom the name belonged to, but when he turned to Lightning, she looked as though she'd seen a ghost. He wondered if she possibly knew who this Claire person was or where they might find her. He didn't see the harm in asking.

"Hey, Light?" he asked softy.

"Hmm?" she hummed as she steadied her breathing.

"Do you know anyone by the name of 'Claire'?"

At the mention of the name, Lightning lifted her head to look him in the eyes. Her glowing cerulean orbs were filled with confusion as she stared at him through the darkness and Cloud immediately felt horrible for even asking the question. It was a stupid mistake on his part. She clearly didn't know who he was looking for and by asking he probably made her feel worse than she already did. She was crying a river of tears because she thought she'd lost someone she loved and the first thing he'd said to her wasn't to comfort her, but rather inquire about another woman.

"You don't know?" she asked in confusion. "But you said the name twice."

"I'm sorry," he quickly tried to recover. "I don't know where I heard the name. I-"

"I'm Claire," she interrupted as she continued to look at him through puzzled eyes.

"What?" he questioned as he gaped at her through the dark. That wasn't quite the response he was looking for. He had expected her to feel angry or hurt by his query, and frankly, he expected any response over the one he received.

 _What does she mean, 'I'm Claire'?_

"I'm Claire," she repeated, clearly taking note of the confusion plastered all over his face. "Claire is my real name."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he stared at her curiously. "I thought Lightning was your real name."

"It's a nickname," she explained. "No one has called me Claire in years. I stopped going by it when I was fifteen."

"Why?"

"I just…" she began nervously as she pulled away from him and sat back on the floor beside his bed.

Cloud was really interested in why Lightning had changed her name, but he could tell that this wasn't something that she particularly liked talking about, and he most certainly didn't want to push her into it if she wasn't ready. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he reassured her, "but I'm here if you ever want to talk about it."

"No, it's not that," Lightning replied as she broke her gaze away from his to stare at the cave wall for a few moments. "My father died when I was very young," she began, "and my mother died when I was fifteen. Serah and I had no other relatives; nowhere left to go. I didn't want the two of us to be split up, so I had to do something to keep us together. I knew that a normal job at for someone of my age wouldn't be enough to take care of her, so I decided to join the military. The pay was more than sufficient and I could give Serah the life she deserved. But…" she trailed off for a few seconds to stare at the wall again. "…I knew that in order to do that, I had to change. I needed to throw away all of the weakness and vulnerabilities that were holding me back and replace them with strength. That was the only way that I would ever cut it in the army. I needed to forget the weak child that I was in the past and become someone strong and fearless for Serah, so I became Lightning. I thought that by changing my name, I could change who I was… I was just a kid," she added as she dropped her gaze to stare at her fingers that she was nervously playing with.

"That's more than any child should ever have to go through," Cloud responded as he lifted himself to sit upright in his bed. "But I understand why you did it," he continued as he reached out and took her hand in his. "I know that's not an easy subject for you to talk about and I know that you don't trust easily, but I want you to know that you can always trust me. You don't ever have to hide who you really are from me because you're perfect in every way," he added as he used his free hand to tilt her chin upward to look into her eyes. "Lightning… Claire… I love you."

"You do?" she asked softly. Her mako blue eyes never left his as she searched them for her answer. She appeared to be battling a mess of emotions as she awaited his response, and she seemed unsure whether he really meant it or if he was only saying it to make her feel better.

"Yes," he replied firmly. He knew that all of this was likely new to her and he even understood why she might question his intentions, but he had meant every word. He truly loved her and all he wanted was for her to love him in return.

Lightning's eyes seemed to soften a bit and she let out a slight chuckle, "why in the world would you do something like that?"

It had seemed as if she had found the answer she was looking for, but her response didn't make any sense. Did she doubt his sincerity and think it was all a joke? Or did she know that he had meant it and was now attempting to dissuade him from having those types of feelings for her? Either way, he wished that she would just say what she felt one way or another because the suspense was killing him. He wanted her to return his love and the idea that she might not made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Because you're perfect…" he replied.

"I'm really not and I don't deserve your love," she said as she nervously looked into his eyes. "But I love you too."

When Lightning said those final three words, it felt as though everything was suddenly right in the world. For just a moment, there was no Sephiroth threatening humanity, no Shinra destroying the planet, and no monsters lurking about. There was no pain or sadness. There was only Lightning, the love that he felt for her, and the space between them that he so desperately wanted to close. She was so close in proximity that he could hear her heart beating wildly against her chest, but his nerves made it seem as though she were miles away. As he continued to gaze into her eyes, he could see his own desires reflecting back at him, and so he swallowed his nervousness, leaned in, and pressed his lips firmly against hers.

….and for that moment, everything really was _perfect_.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that it's taken me a while to update. I've been dealing with a lot between work and my personal life lately. I also knew going into it that this chapter was going to be HUGE in terms of story development, so that was part of my hold up. I had big plans for this chapter and I wanted to take my time with it. The last thing I wanted to do was mess up something so important. I also know that this chapter is on the shorter side in comparison to many of my other chapters, but I was really shooting for quality over quantity here. Anyway, I really hope I didn't disappoint. :)**

 **Thank you x's a million to Wolf for being an awesome beta reader and keeping me motivated to write this horrible thing lol. Thanks to all the readers, to all those (new and old) who have followed / favorited the story, and a very special thank you to all those who reviewed chapter 22. Your love and support was the perfect motivation. I put a lot of time and effort into these chapters and I really like to know that people are interested enough to let me know how I'm doing. So with that being said, please take a few minutes and drop me a line or two! Also, I would like to mention this as a few readers have brought this up in their reviews or PM's, but please don't be afraid leave me a review in your native language if you don't feel comfortable expressing yourself in English. I absolutely love that I have such a diverse audience. I really appreciate that you all take the time out of your day to read my story and I most certainly would like to hear from you… no matter which language you speak, I'll do my best to figure it out… google translate is awesome lol. Anywho, thanks again for sticking with me and I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Hope you all are well,**

 **Lady A**


	25. Chapter 24: The Choices We Make

**Chapter 24 – The Choices We Make**

The cold wind ripped through Lightning's hair as she led the way through the network of tracks in search of the town called North Corel. She let out an involuntary shiver and then briefly paused to survey the dark area ahead of her. The sun had retreated hours ago and it seemed that most of the heat had disappeared right along with it. What small amount of warmth that lingered behind seemed to be the property of the reactor and that notion was proven correct as they travelled further and further away from it; its absence left a bitter chill in the wind that, for the first time all day, reflected what mountain weather should feel like.

Normally, Lightning would have advised against traveling in such unfamiliar and dangerous territory at night, but both Cloud and Tifa insisted on it out of fear that the others might venture further into the mountains and search for them in the darkness. While they most certainly had a reasonable concern, she still protested heavily when Cloud suggested that they go back out onto the tracks. It would have made her feel a thousand times better if they had waited until morning and given him a proper night's rest before proceeding back onto the hazardous mess of tracks, but he was hearing none of it. He'd reasoned that they'd already wasted enough time and since they had damaged the PHS, they needed to reunite with the others before someone else ended up hurt as well.

She knew that his concern was valid and his logic was sound, but that didn't stop her from worrying about him; and while he seemed grateful for her concern, he had no trouble pretending that it was misplaced. He insisted that he was fine; that he felt good, actually, but she wasn't buying any of it. He'd made a pretty convincing statement as he got out of bed with ease, but despite his efforts to hide it, the look of pure exhaustion on his face didn't go unnoticed as he attempted to lift that heavy sword to strap it onto his back. She and Tifa had managed to heal his wounds easily enough with their materia, but she knew that no materia could have replaced the large amount of blood that he'd most likely lost due to the fracture his arm had suffered. He was tired and he needed a proper rest to recover his strength.

Cloud was every bit as stubborn as she was when it came to matters such as these. She knew that no matter how much she begged him to rest that he would still insist on heading back out onto those tracks in the darkness, no matter what sort of condition he was in. He was very selfless and could only think of the other's safety. She loved this part of him, but hated that it always seemed to jeopardize his own safety. There would be no stopping him if he was dead set on heading back out into the darkness, but she refused to let him strain his tired, sore body any further by carrying a massive hunk of steel on his back. That thing had to weigh close to two-hundred pounds and its added weight would do nothing to assist his recovery, so she insisted on carrying it for him. Naturally, he objected to this idea, but quickly realized that she wouldn't let him go without some sort of compromise.

It felt strange when he finally passed over his sword. The last time she held it was at Aeris' house, the night the two of them had fallen from the reactor into sector five. She remembered handing it over to him as they were attempting to sneak out and then commenting that it was 'too heavy to be functional'; a remark, which at the time, had been the understatement of the year. That thing was heavier than any sword she had ever handled. There was no way a normal human could possess the sort of strength required to handle that sword and she could have never imagined trying to wield that thing in battle. But that was before Hojo had gotten ahold of her; before his experiments and torture that would change her forever.

She'd never considered herself to be the strongest person around. Even as a l'Cie, at the peak of her power, she still felt miles behind Snow and Fang in terms of strength and endurance. That paired with the fact that she was very average in terms of her magical abilities when compared to Hope and Vanille, made her feel mediocre at best. But she had most certainly never considered herself weak. She'd excelled in every training she'd been put through during her time in the Guardian Corps and even Lieutenant Amodar had praised her numerous times. She'd always felt capable enough, but handling that sword made her question everything she'd ever thought about herself.

She'd known that Cloud had been a member of SOLDIER and genetically modified with mako, but she never understood what exactly that meant until she handled that weapon. She'd pondered it briefly when Jessie had explained it all to her and the closest comparison that she could make was to a PSICOM elite and the advanced technology they utilized in their armor and weapons. They had been a bit of a headache when she and the others had stormed the Palamecia and then later, at Eden. She had no problem giving credit where credit was due: they were tough, but nothing she and the others had much difficulty handling as l'Cie. She'd thought Cloud would be similar to them, but his strength surpassed anything she could have ever imagined.

She hadn't really considered how her own genetic enhancements had affected her physical abilities until picking that sword up tonight. Something that was once so heavy to her that she couldn't fathom the idea of wielding in battle and something that she had to utilize both hands in order to pick it up was now light enough that she could hold it one-handedly with ease. It most certainly made her question what else the modifications could have affected. She wondered if the effects were the same across the board for everyone who was subjected to the treatment, if they were unique to the individual, or if they could possibly vary depending on the amount of mako the subject was exposed to; but those were questions that could probably only be answered by the very person who had performed the experiments.

Jessie had explained the process to her once before, informing her that members of SOLDIER were typically showered in the stuff and that it was absorbed in small quantities through the skin. This seemed to be the normal procedure for it as to prevent over exposure. Cloud had made it seem that what Hojo had done to her wasn't normal at all, so Lightning had to wonder if he was, in fact, trying to poison her, or if he'd had an entirely different fate in store for her. She shuddered as she reflected back to the conversation she had with Cloud shortly after she'd woken up in Kalm when he'd told her a terrifying story of the things that he and Sephiroth had discovered in Nibelheim. Specimens—genetically modified humans that had been horribly disfigured and gone mad due to Hojo's inhumane experiments.

She couldn't help but wonder if the mad scientist had something similar in mind for her. Had he intended to turn her into a monster as well, or did he have other plans for her? He could have picked anyone in the world for his little science experiment, but he chose her. She didn't feel like it was coincidence that she had somehow gotten his attention. For some reason, the Shinra had been interested in her from her very first interaction with them, but why, she truly had no idea. Her appearance did make her stand out quite a bit, but she didn't think it'd be enough to paint a target on her back. She'd always figured that people would come to the same initial assumption that Jessie had and concluded that she dyed her hair and her clothing was foreign. The Shinra, however, had seen something in her that no one else had, but what exactly, was still uncertain.

It was all so unclear to her, but there had to be a connection, some reason Shinra had allowed Hojo to do this to her. The company seemed to have a purpose behind everything they did. She understood why they sought out Aeris. It was obvious that she was important to them from the moment she and Cloud had fallen into her church. They'd been searching for her for years. She was an Ancient, the last surviving member of the Cetra, and absolutely essential to finding the prophesized Promised Land. She had been their target for most of her life, and yet, they had the opportunity to snatch her at Don Corneo's mansion, but didn't. Instead, they redirected their efforts into Lightning.

Don Corneo was on Shinra's payroll and was following their orders to the letter that night. She and the others had been expected, and like fools, they had walked right into a trap. Don Corneo did as instructed, chose Lightning, and then delivered her directly to the Turks. She never imagined that the Shinra would target her over Aeris, but for some unknown reason, they had. She and Cloud had put so much effort into keeping Aeris safe that they had failed to see that the evil corporation may have had another agenda. She could still feel the sense of dread as she entered that room and quickly realized she had walked into something completely different than what she'd originally expected. Instead of beating information out of that sick, perverted creep, she found herself face to face and outnumbered by Reno and several other Turks that she didn't know by name. She could still see Reno's smug, self-satisfied grin as he explained that they had been expecting her and then delivered the blow to her head that would knock her unconscious. As she reflected back to that moment, she felt the pain once more as his baton collided with the side of her skull. Staggering slightly, she was brought back to reality as Cloud grabbed her shoulders from behind to steady her.

"Are you okay," he asked in concern as he slowly turned her around to study her face.

"Yeah," she nodded as she rubbed the invisible wound on her head."

"What's wrong?" he pressed as his eyes followed her hand, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

"Nothing," she replied as she quickly lowered her arm. "I was thinking about something and lost my footing… I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm fine... I promise," she assured.

"Hey… Do you all smell that?" Tifa interrupted as she poked her head around from behind.

"Fire," Cloud observed as he sniffed the air. "Most likely a camp fire."

"Do you think it's the others?" Lightning questioned as she turned around and scanned the area ahead.

"Maybe," Cloud replied. "There's only one way to find out. It smells like it's close and it looks like the tracks end up ahead. I'd be willing to bet that it's through there," he added as he pointed to a large opening in the mountain wall.

Cloud was right. As they reached the end of the tracks they began to hear the soft crackling of a nearby fire and as they entered the mountain pass, they saw it flickering in the distance. Around the small campfire sat several people and behind them stood two tents. Lightning quickly realized that the people gathered around the fire were, in fact, their comrades, and as they got closer, Aeris looked up. Her face immediately adopted a huge smile at the sight of them and she began waving excitedly, which alerted the others to their presence as well.

"The hell've you all been?" Barret demanded as he took in their weary appearances, his eyes landing briefly on the massive sword that hung from Lightning's back.

"Good to see you too, Barret," Tifa huffed in annoyance as she walked over to the fire and began to warm her hands.

"Are you okay, Cloud?" Aeris asked as she got to her feet and approached him with eyes full of concern. "We were so worried."

"I'm fine," he replied as he gave her a slight smile. "I've had worse."

"What about the two of you?" Barret asked as his eyes shifted between Lightning and Tifa. "You look like you've jumped off a damn cliff."

"Close enough," Tifa chuckled as she ran her hand through her long, dark hair in an attempt to remove the pesky tangles. "Little miss soldier over there may as well have. I thought she was going to drown after she hit the water from that height. That's why we haven't been able to call on the PHS. It was damaged when I had to jump in after her," she added.

"What?" Cloud demanded as he turned to face Lightning who then shot Tifa an angry look. "Please tell me she's joking."

"It wasn't that high," Lightning defended. "We'd been wandering those tracks for hours and it was getting dark. I knew you'd fallen to the bottom and that was the quickest way to get there."

"It doesn't matter," he scolded. "You could have died!"

"But I didn't," she argued. "I was just worried about you and I wasn't thinking clearly... I'm sorry," she added.

His expression seemed to soften at her words and he let out a heavy sigh. "Just please promise me that you won't do anything like that again."

"I promise," she agreed.

"Oh, is the lover's quarrel over?" Yuffie joked. "This was getting interesting."

"Shut it, twerp," Lightning shot back to the annoying ninja as she walked over to the fire and sat down next to Red.

"Glad to have you back," Red said as he gave her a slight nod.

"So what's the plan?" Cloud asked the beast as he joined them, sitting so close to Lightning that their shoulders were nearly touching. She was sure the others would take note of their close proximity, and this suspicion was quickly confirmed when Aeris and Yuffie both let out soft giggles.

"The town is up ahead, just past that long bridge," Red explained. "Barret thought it would be best if we camped out here at the end of the tracks until we were all reunited."

"One of his stupider ideas," Yuffie teased as she elbowed the dark-skinned man.

"Why's that?" he debated. "Did you want to leave the three of them behind out here?"

"It isn't that much of a difference," she argued. "The only thing that separates us from that town is a long rickety bridge. I don't see why we couldn't have gone on ahead. If they could find us here, they could have just as easily found us there. We could be sleeping in warm beds tonight. Instead, we're out here in the cold and freezing to death."

"Don't you ever think of anyone 'side from yourself?" Barret asked as he eyed the ninja angrily.

"Easy you two," Aeris scolded. "I didn't want to go on either and we're hardly freezing," she added as she gestured to the fire and then to the tents. "We have the tents and a fire to keep us warm. What's important is that we're back together and no one was hurt today."

"Pssh, whatever," Yuffie grumbled as she got up and stomped to the nearest tent. "I'm goin' to bed."

"So… what are our sleeping arrangements?" Tifa inquired as she looked at the two tents. "These tents only sleep three and there are seven of us."

"I do not require one," Red informed them. "This cold does not bother me at all."

"Okay," Aeris said thoughtfully, "so we would have the boys in one tent and I suppose the rest of us will have to squeeze into the second with Yuffie."

"That sounds comfortable," Tifa remarked sarcastically.

"You two go ahead," Lightning said as she nodded towards the tent. "It won't be long until the sun comes up again. I think I'll just stay out by the fire."

"But-" Aeris began.

"I'm fine, really," she assured. "I'm not all that tired. I'll rest tomorrow. The town up ahead is called North Corel and a short ride beyond that is the Gold Saucer. We can rest at the Gold Saucer tomorrow night."

"How the hell d'ya know all that?" Barret asked as he looked at her suspiciously. "Thought you weren't from around here?"

"I'm not," Lightning replied as she returned his hard gaze. It was quite obvious he had some sort of issue with the area up ahead. He'd either acted on edge whenever the town was mentioned or he'd been trying to avoid it altogether, even going as far as to suggest that they turn around half way over the mountain. Whatever his problem was, she was going to find out right here and now. "What's your deal with-"

"We met someone along the way," Tifa quickly inserted, trying to diffuse the emerging tension between the two of them. "We met someone at the bottom of the tracks and he mapped out the area up ahead and told us the safest way to travel."

"Hmmph," he huffed as he got to his feet. "Well, I'm goin' to bed. I suggest y'all do the same. I wanna get movin' early tomorrow. We've done wasted enough time already. At this rate, we'll never catch up to Sephiroth," he added as he retreated to his tent and yanked it closed behind him.

"I guess I'll turn in as well," Tifa yawned as she got to her feet and then stretched her hands high above her head. "I'm beat."

"Me too," Aeris agreed as she made her way towards the tent, pausing briefly beside Lightning. "I'm not going to complain about having extra room, but if you change your mind about getting some sleep, just wake us up and we'll make room," she smiled.

"Thanks," Lightning nodded appreciatively, "but I'll be fine out here."

"Okay, then," she smiled again as she followed Tifa into the tent and then quickly returned with a red flannel blanket. "Here, in case you get cold," she said as she passed over the blanket and then returned to the tent, leaving Cloud and Lightning alone beside the fire.

She and Cloud sat there in silence, side by side, for a few moments before Cloud leaned away and began rummaging through the small pile of wood that had been collected by the others. After about a minute or so of sighing and shaking his head at what Lightning could only assume was Barret's poor job of collecting firewood, he finally placed an acceptable sized log onto the fire. "Are you cold?" he asked as he picked up the long scrap piece of iron that Barret had been using and began poking at the burning wood.

"Not really," Lightning replied. "It's quite a bit warmer here than it was on the tracks. The mountain walls do a fairly decent job of blocking the wind."

"Hmm," he hummed in agreement as he continued to adjust the firewood. "Sure you're not tired?"

"I'm a little," she admitted, which caused him to stop poking at the fire and look up at her with a perplexed expression.

"Then why aren't you sleeping?" he asked.

"Those tents are tiny and seem like they would barely accommodate three people," she explained. "There's no way that all four of us would be able to squeeze in there, not without lying on top of each other, that is," she chuckled. "And besides, have you heard Yuffie at night? Her snoring is worse than Barret's… and she talks in her sleep. Try sleeping with that next to your ear all night."

"I guess I see your point," he said. "There isn't a lot that can be done about Yuffie, but I'm sure Aeris or Tifa would be willing to switch out later on if you got tired."

"I'll be okay out here," she said as she shook her head. "It's you that should get some rest. You've had a rough day and could use the time to recover."

"I'm fine," he replied. "Not tired at all."

"We both know that's not true," she argued. "You look exhausted."

"No more than you do," he countered. "I'm not leaving you out here by yourself."

"So you're going to stay out here with me all night?" she questioned.

"That's the plan," he replied with a smirk.

"Well that's just silly," she frowned.

"Maybe," he agreed, "but it would be sillier to leave the woman that I love by herself, out in the cold, overnight."

Lightning opened her mouth to respond, but quickly found that her voice and the argument that it carried had been lost. It took a second for her brain to fully catch up and comprehend what he said and when it finally did, she felt her heart skip a beat. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about the events from earlier in the night. She remembered so vividly the words that Cloud had said to her, but that still didn't stop her mind from trying to convince her that it hadn't actually happened and that it had all been a dream; something that would erase from history the moment she closed her eyes and went to sleep. To hear him say it again, so soon, and with the others within earshot made it feel like the first time all over again. It felt like confirmation that the whole thing had been real and not some girlish fantasy.

"But I won't stay if you don't want me too," he added as his grin slowly vanished. She could tell from the saddening look in his mako eyes that he was taking her silence negatively, and the last thing she wanted was for him to think she was having second thoughts about her feelings. She knew that he was already likely drawing conclusions because he began to get up and she knew that she'd have to do something fast before she ruined everything.

"No," she begged as she quickly grabbed his hand. "I want you to stay."

He stared at her in confusion for a moment before lowering himself back onto the ground, "Then I will."

"I don't ever want you to leave," she admitted as she intertwined her fingers with his.

The two of them were silent once again as they sat side by side staring the flames for what felt like hours. The crackling of wood and the rumbling of Barret's snores were the only sounds that could be heard. Normally, Barret's one-man lumber mill kept her awake for hours, but tonight it seemed to be a lullaby that only added to her exhaustion. The smoky heat from the fire was beginning to make her eyes feel very dry and she wanted so desperately to close them for just a few minutes.

"Are you tired?" Cloud asked, making her realize that she'd just yet out a loud yawn.

"Exhausted," she admitted as she pulled her hand away from his and rubbed her dry, sticky eyes with it.

"You should get some rest," he suggested.

"I'm fine," she replied, but no sooner than the words left her lips, she was immediately betrayed by another yawn.

"You're not making a very convincing argument," he chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "Why don't you close your eyes for a bit," he offered softly.

"What about you?" she asked as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Aren't you tired?"

"Not really," he replied. "I'll admit that I was a bit earlier, but not so much anymore. I slept earlier, but you haven't slept since Costa del Sol. You really should rest for a bit."

"Hmm," Lightning hummed as she gave in and finally allowed her eyes to close.

She sat there for several minutes listening to the sounds of the campsite and enjoying the warmth of the man that she had grown to love so much while the events of the day replayed through her mind. It had been an exhausting day, to say the least. The events had taken their toll on her both physically and emotionally, but as she sat there with her head resting on Cloud's shoulder, she knew that she would do it all over again in a heartbeat if it meant she'd still end up right where she was now. She would have never in a million years wished for Cloud to face the danger he had, but the stress of the situation really forced Lightning to sort out her feelings for him and it gave them both the necessary push to express these feelings to each other.

 _'I love you.'_

Those three words echoed through her mind as she reflected back to the moment in the cave when Cloud parted his lips and said something that would forever change things between them. His words had confused her at first and she briefly wondered if perhaps they had been meant for someone else or had been said by mistake. After all, who could possibly fall in love with someone like her? Someone whose fierce personality and stubbornness had all but ensured her solitude in the past and pretty much guaranteed that no man ever got close enough to love her. But somehow Cloud had made it through her barriers. He saw her flaws for what they were and accepted them. Realizing that those words had truly been meant for her filled her with a happiness that she'd never felt before and that happiness was something that she wouldn't trade for anything. She didn't know why she was brought to this planet or what the future held in store for her, but she knew that she wouldn't have to face it alone. With Cloud by her side, she would never have to feel alone again.

* * *

The smell of food and the crackling of logs burning over a fire slowly brought Lightning back into consciousness. She didn't recall the exact moment in which she had fallen asleep or even how long she had been asleep for that matter, but the warmth of the sun suggested that she had been out for quite some time. She knew that the others were probably waiting for her and that she needed to get moving, but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. She hadn't felt this comfortable in a very long and just very idea of ruining it disgusted her.

She could hear someone moving around nearby and she assumed that it was probably Tifa or Aeris preparing whatever food that Barret or Yuffie had managed to collect this morning. Whomever it was though, moved quietly and Lightning could tell this was probably out of consideration for the fact that she was still sleeping. After the day she'd had yesterday, she was in no way objectionable to a little more rest, so she decided to accept the generous offer, but as she was drifting off again, a voice quickly ripped her back into reality.

"I can't believe they're still asleep," the voice remarked and Lightning easily recognized the speaker as Aeris'.

"Hmm," another female hummed in acknowledgement. Lightning couldn't tell if it had been Tifa or Yuffie that had responded, but she was leaning towards the former. It was hard to imagine Yuffie being so quiet and replying to anything with such a simple answer.

"Do you think we should wake them?" Aeris asked.

"Probably," the other voice replied, confirming that it did actually belong Tifa. "Barret isn't very happy. If we don't start moving soon, I think his head might actually explode."

"Do we have to?" Aeris asked with a giggle. "They're so cute!"

 _'What's so cute?'_ Lightning wondered, but no sooner had the question passed through her mind, she realized what exactly Aeris had been talking about. Now that she was fully awake, her awareness to her surroundings quickly sharpened and then she mentally chastised herself for not figuring out what was going on sooner.

A warm piece of fabric separated the right side of her body from the earth, suggesting that she was now lying on the blanket that Aeris had provided the night before. Her head was resting on something firm, yet comfortable, and the thumping beneath her ear could easily be recognized as a heartbeat. Her hand was positioned close to her head and beneath it, she could feel the rise and fall of lungs taking in oxygen. An arm draped around her back and now rested on her side just above her hip in a gentle, yet secure embrace. She knew that all of this could mean only one thing—she had fallen asleep and the person beneath her head was Cloud.

She remembered laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes, but she couldn't recall actually falling asleep. She'd been exhausted, so she imagined that it probably happened almost instantly after shutting her eyes. After she had drifted off, Cloud must have gotten tired as well, but instead of waking her so they could go to their respective tents, he just laid the blanket on the ground behind them and decided to just rest there as to not disturb her rest.

She appreciated that Cloud had been considerate of her needs, but at the same time, she wondered if he had fully thought this idea through before making the decision. In truth, she loved waking up like this, but she was a little worried about how the others, particularly Tifa, would react to seeing them this way. It was obvious that the others knew there was something between them. They seemed to notice the chemistry between them before she and Cloud had even noticed it themselves, and after the big push they'd received yesterday, it would have only been a matter of time before the others picked up on just how serious things were between them.

It wasn't that Lightning didn't want the others to know how she and Cloud felt about each other and she really didn't mind being seen with him. She could handle Barret's looks of disapproval and the rude comedic remarks that would no doubt come from Yuffie; it was Tifa she was worried about. She knew that Tifa had pretty strong feelings for Cloud and just the knowledge that he had chosen Lightning over her couldn't have been easy to deal with. She was probably hurting and the last thing that Lightning wanted to do was parade the relationship around in front of her. Oddly enough, she found herself craving the martial artist's acceptance and approval, but she knew that she'd never get it as long as her feelings were disregarded.

It was a tricky situation though. It would be hard to truly protect Tifa's feelings so long as Cloud remained oblivious to the fact that she had feelings for him in the first place. Lightning knew that it was not her place to tell him and she would never violate that trust with Tifa by doing so. However, so long as he remained unaware, he would keep doing things that he viewed as innocent, while unknowingly damaging Tifa even further by creating feelings of distrust, anger, and resentment towards Lightning and maybe even himself.

Lightning truly felt at a loss and hadn't the slightest clue as to how to fix things. Part of her wanted Tifa to just tell Cloud the truth about how she felt, that way he would at least know and therefore could be more considerate. However, she was afraid that if Tifa did that it might somehow change how Cloud felt about her or it might make things awkward between them and create ripples within the group. She felt pretty confident in what she and Cloud had, but she didn't know how the knowledge of Tifa's feelings would affect him. She didn't think that it would change anything, but then again, Tifa was his oldest and closest friend. Maybe learning how she felt would actually change everything and he'd realize that she was who he wanted after all. This was a possibility that Lightning couldn't bring herself to face and just the very thought of losing him made her heart ache in a way she didn't think possible.

"Yo! We gettin' a move on, or what?!" Barret's thunderous voice cut through her thoughts, startling her enough that she actually jumped, which caused the blonde to tighten his grip around her in response. Opening her eyes, Lightning looked up to see the dark-skinned man staring down at the two of them impatiently and it was pretty obvious that he didn't approve of what he saw.

"What time is it?" Cloud yawned beneath her head causing her to sit up.

As she looked around, she realized that it was much later than she had previously thought. She'd known that she and Cloud had probably been asleep for a while, but she hadn't imagined that it would've been this long. Judging by the sun's position in the sky, it appeared to be nearing noon, meaning that they had lost several hours and were now even further behind Sephiroth. She could tell by how quickly Cloud sat up that he had just come to the same realization as she had.

"Why didn't anyone wake us?" he asked.

"I don't recall signin' up to be your damn alarm clock," Barret replied coldly. Cloud opened his mouth to respond, but was suddenly cut off by Aeris.

"It's my fault," she interrupted. "Tifa told me about what happened yesterday… and I just thought that it would be a good idea if you both rested a bit more, so I asked the others to leave you be. Please don't argue."

"We really appreciate it," Cloud smiled at her. "But we would have preferred to have been woken up," he added as he climbed to his feet and then reached down to pull Lightning up by the hand.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "You both just seemed really tired."

"Yeah, well I'm glad they're both feelin' fresh as daisies now, but we ain't ever gonna catch Sephiroth if we're all just loungin' around all day," Barret rounded on her which caused her to draw back and look as if she were about to cry.

"What good would facing Sephiroth be if our two strongest and most efficient fighters are too tired to fight?" Red interceded on Aeris' behalf. "Allowing them to rest was the right call."

Barret opened his mouth to argue, but quickly realized that the red-furred beast was probably right. Individually, everyone in the group was more than capable of holding their own in battle, but against Sephiroth, they didn't stand a chance. He was the strongest man on the planet and the only person to have ever survived a battle against him had been Cloud. Everyone in the group knew that he was the most viable option they had to defeat Sephiroth. He'd not only fought against him, but had also fought alongside him in battle. He knew his techniques, his strengths, and would even know any weaknesses he had. There was no doubt about it: if there was a way to truly defeat him, Cloud would know how, but he wouldn't be able to do it on his own.

Everyone in the group had a role to play in the upcoming battle and they would need every ounce of strength and energy they had available to carry out this task. Cloud was obviously crucial to their success. In addition to the knowledge he provided on Sephiroth, he was also a former 1st Class member of SOLDIER; a genetically modified killing machine. Lightning, while not having been a member of the elite task force, had been modified in a similar fashion and possessed the same level of power. She may have lacked the training that Cloud had received, but she felt that her years in the Guardian Corps and her time as a l'Cie hadn't left her too far behind. The others were unique and helpful in their own ways: Tifa was very agile and hard to hit but powerful at the same time; Aeris was probably better at manipulating magic than anyone she'd ever met, including Vanille and Hope; Barret was very skilled with that gun of his and was a tank when it came to taking hits; Red was also very fast, powerful, and also quite good with magic; and Yuffie, despite her annoying personality, was also very agile, knew her way around materia, and a professional with her Shuriken.

Everyone was essential to the task that lay ahead and Barret knew it. He may not have approved of Cloud and Lightning's relationship and he most certainly did not approve of losing time because they had slept in, but it was easy to see that Red's logic had gotten to him. Lightning wasn't the happiest that they had lost the time either, but he had been right. From the way the cave dwelling fisherman explained it, the Gold Saucer was the end of the line, which meant that there was a very real chance that they would end up facing Sephiroth by the end of the day. It would most certainly be in everyone's benefit to be properly rested and prepared to fight if need be.

"Let's just get going," Barret grumbled as he yanked up the blanket that Cloud and Lightning had been lying on and stuffed it into his backpack before turning to stomp away.

"He's been a little edgy all morning," Tifa informed them as she finished packing away the remainder of the camp.

"He's been 'edgy' since we stepped foot onto this mountain," Lightning replied bitterly. "What's his deal anyway?"

"I honestly don't know," the brunette replied as she stared after the dark-skinned man. "But I'm sure we'll find out soon…"

* * *

North Corel ended up being much closer than Lightning had imagined it would be. She thought Yuffie had been exaggerating the night before, but one long walk across a rickety bridge, and there they were, standing at the entrance and staring at the shambles of what appeared to be a once prospering town. Now the town was nothing more than dirt and debris. It was easy to gather that something had happened here, something terrible that had robbed the civilians of their homes and had reduced them to tents and makeshift houses.

Lightning had never seen a more depressing place in all her life. The townspeople seemed to wander mindlessly as they went about their business cleaning up the destruction that had been left behind. Whatever happened, looked as though it had occurred years ago and yet, these people were still here. They were carrying on despite the fact that they had lost everything, despite the fact that they were living in garbage, and despite the fact that things still looked pretty bleak. It was hard to understand why they hadn't just left and started over somewhere else, but Lightning respected the fact that they were still here trying to salvage what little remained of their home.

"What happened here?" she finally asked aloud.

"I don't know," Cloud replied as he looked around at the mess. "I've never been here, but I heard that North Corel was supposed to be a coal mining town."

"What's coal?" Lightning asked in confusion.

"You don't know what coal is?" Cloud asked as he gave her an equally perplexing look. He waited for a response, but when his question only returned a more baffled expression, he realized that she was being serious. "It's a fossil fuel that was created from plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. It was our main source of energy before Shinra built the reactors and began tapping into the planet's mako supply."

"Oh," Lightning responded. "We didn't have any of that. The Fal'Cie were our only source of energy and provided nearly everything for us… our food, water, electricity… everything. The Fal'Cie Eden was our light in the sky and the battery that powered the whole thing."

"So you all didn't have to work for anything?" Yuffie questioned in awe. "Sounds like my kinda place."

"It wasn't all it was cracked up to be," Lightning responded. "We were basically pets and kept on leashes… raised and nurtured to lead a meaningless life until they found another purpose for us."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Yuffie replied. "Seems like a good place to live"

"It was… until the Fal'Cie ordered me and my friends to kill everyone living there."

"What?!" Yuffie gasped. "But why?"

"Because they were tired of catering to mankind's every need," Lightning answered. "If the world was destroyed, they thought it would summon the maker, who would rebuild the world and they would be reborn again with a new purpose."

"The maker… you mean God?"

"I don't know," Lightning answered truthfully. "We put a stop to the plan before we could find out."

"I wonder if it's the same God that created this planet?" Tifa wondered aloud as she looked up at the sky.

"Could be… not sure what else could have brought me here." Lightning replied.

Their conversation immediately died as a man in grey overalls approached them with a friendly smile. As he surveyed the group of travelers, his welcoming smile instantly vanished and turned to anger when his eyes fell on Barret. "You, you're…" he stuttered as he looked at him in disbelief. Quickly turning, he shouted, "Hey! He's back!" as he ran to join two other men that were standing between two nearby tents.

"Wait here," Barret commanded as he followed after the man and then vanished between the tents to talk with them

Lightning now understood why Barret had issues with coming into this mountain, and to this town specifically. Something had happened here that had involved him and the townspeople now seemed to hate him for it. Maybe he had been responsible for or connected to the towns destruction? That seemed like a likely explanation for his behavior and the townspeople's reaction upon seeing him, and the theory was instantly proven correct a moment later when she began to hear shouting coming from where Barret had disappeared to.

"Well, lookey here!" Never thought I'd ever see your face again," a male's voice that Lightning didn't recognize called out. "They kick you out of another town or somethin'?"

"You destroy everything you touch," another man piped up.

"You got a lot of nerve comin' back here!" the first man continued. "Look at this place! It's all your fault Corel turned into a garbage heap! Why doncha say something!? Or did ya forget what you done here already?"

"I'm sorry," Barret could be heard apologizing.

"Fuck! You ain't even worth the effort," the man answered. "Don't waste your time talkin' to that techno freak!"

A moment later, Barret walked out from between the tents with his head lowered in shame and his face bloody from where he had obviously been punched on the nose. As he rejoined them, he didn't dare meet any of their stunned gazes, and instead kept his eyes fixed on the dirt below him. "You heard 'em," he explained in a low somber tone. "It's my fault this town was… destroyed."

Barret walked away from the group and began making his way through the small sea of tents while doing his best to keep his head low and avoiding the angry looks that were coming his way. The others followed behind, but nobody dared to say a word to him as they walked out of fear that he'd either breakdown or they'd bring more unwanted attention to him. Lightning was curious to know what had happened here and how Barret had been connected to it all, but she knew that those were questions best saved for another day and perhaps asked under better circumstances. Barret hadn't been the friendliest to her since she had joined the group and looked at her like she was a nuisance most of the time, but it was easy to see that he was hurting right now and she didn't want to add to his pain.

After passing a large sign with the words 'Gold Saucer' printed on it, the group came to a halt at one of the strangest structures that Lightning had ever seen before. It appeared to be a station of sorts. At the top of the stairs, a large blue car could be seen sitting on top of the same type of railroad tracks they had travelled by yesterday. The only difference was that these tracks ended abruptly just outside the station and it appeared that the car would be pulled the remainder of its journey by the large cables that were attached to the top.

As they reached the top of the stairs and entered the station, Aeris decided that it was finally time to break the silence. "Barret, what happened?" she asked.

"Sorry," he apologized as he looked at them all individually.

"What happened?" Cloud repeated.

"My hometown used to be around here," he answered as he slowly walked toward the car and then turned around again.

"What do you mean 'used to'?" Red pressed.

"It ain't here no more," Barret replied as he lowered his gaze to the ground. "Heard it got buried… in just four years."

"But how could those people say those terrible things?" Aeris questioned.

"An' it's my fault," he continued, "ALL my fault." He stood in silence for a few moments and then after a deep breath, he decided to tell them the truth. He explained how his small hometown had always been a poor coal mining town, but one day the Shinra showed up with the proposal of building a mako reactor in the mountain. The Shinra promised that the villagers would all have better lives after the reactor was completed, but Barret's friend Dyne was against throwing away their coal and their way of life. Barret explained how he had argued in favor of building the reactor so that his wife wouldn't have to suffer anymore and the villagers agreed with him, successfully overriding Dyne's protests. Barret continued his story by describing an event not long after the reactor was completed when he and Dyne returned to Corel to discover that the Shinra had lit it ablaze killing most of the townspeople, including his wife

"Shinra troops?" Cloud interrupted. "What for!?"

"There was an explosion at the reactor," Barret explained. "Shinra blamed the accident on the people… said it was a rebel faction."

"That's so terrible," Tifa gasped as she quickly brought up her hand to cover her mouth.

"Well, I guess that's true," Barret went on, "but more than Shinra, I couldn't forgive myself. Never should've gone along with the building of the reactor…"

"Don't blame yourself," Tifa comforted as she approached him and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "We were all fooled by the promises Shinra made back then."

"That's why… that's why I get so pissed off!" he responded angrily. "Not only did they take advantage of me… But I lost my wife, Myrna, too…" he added as he looked at the ground in sadness.

"Hey, everyone!" A man interrupted as he peeked out at them from the door of the blue cable car. "If you want to go to the Gold Saucer, hurry and get on!"

Lightning felt as if everyone in the group was shooting daggers at the man for interrupting their conversation with Barret, but they ultimately decided that it was probably best for him to leave the discussion there for the day. It was pretty obvious that he was in agreement because he quickly disappeared into the car and then out of sight as if to avoid sharing anymore. His pain was understandable and his hatred of Shinra now made sense to Lightning. All this time, she thought that he was just a crazy rebel activist trying to save the planet from a wicked corporation, but there was so much more to it than that. He was trying to destroy the very people he held responsible for the loss of his home and his wife.

Lightning felt as though she had been wronged by the company, but her scars ran nowhere as deep as Barret's. She wanted to say something to comfort him, but she knew that no words could ever heal the damage that had been inflicted on him by the Shinra. It was odd feeling this type of sympathy for him, especially given their past. He'd never been particularly nice to her and had always struck her as an angry and miserable person, but now she saw that he only wore that mask to cover up a broken heart. He had been hurting for years, living day to day with the pain of his wife's death, and no one ever knew it. Over the years, he began to turn that pain into anger and focused his attention on hurting those who had taken everything away from him. It would have been easy to judge him or to tell him that what he was doing wouldn't erase his pain, but Lightning knew that she had no right to say any of these things. After all, she hadn't been so different not too long ago. His pain was one that she was all too familiar with, and as she followed others into the cable-car, she realized that maybe, she and Barret had more in common than she thought…

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hey guys… anyone still reading this thing? Sorry that it's been a while since my last update. I've had lots going on in my personal life and with work. I feel kind of bad because it literally took me a month and a half to write the first 4k words of this chapter and then three hours to write the second 4k last night. I've been a little stressed and then my dog passed away a few days ago so I been a little depressed as well. I guess what I've always said is actually true: I do my best writing when I'm in a shit mood lol. Anywho, sorry for taking so long with my update. I truly hope that it was worth the wait.**

 **A million thank yous go out to Wolf for looking things over for me, always catching my FFVII backstory screw-ups, and for giving me the push I need to keep going with this thing. For those of you who haven't seen yet, he updated Great Mako War (I know, right!? It's been like a year lmao!), so go check it out when you're done here. As always, thank you to all those who are still reading the story, those who have followed/favorited it, and especially to those who have taken time to review. You are the motivation that keeps me going :)**

 **Hope you all are well…**

 **Lady A**


	26. Chapter 25: Misfortune

**Chapter 25 – Misfortune**

Barret let out a heavy sigh as he stared from the window of the cable car. He'd lost track of how long he'd been sitting on the hard seat in the tiny compartment; maybe it'd been twenty minutes or maybe it'd been an hour, he didn't know, nor did he really care. He was just grateful that the others hadn't decided to follow him. It'd never been his intention to tell them about what had happened to Corel. In fact, he would have preferred to have slipped through the wreck of a town overnight or early in the morning before anyone would be awake to recognize him, but despite how hard he pushed, it didn't work out that way.

He'd prayed that no one in town would recognize him and call attention to his presence, but confrontation came no sooner than he'd stepped foot into town. After that, it was hard to hide any connection to the place, and while it was none of their business, he felt like he had no choice but to tell the others the truth about what had happened. He was happy that they'd decided to leave him alone for the duration of the trip, but he knew that as soon as they docked at the next destination, the onslaught of questions would begin once again.

An announcement over the intercom interrupted Barret's thoughts to inform him that the cable car would be arriving at the Gold Saucer within the next five minutes. He quickly scanned the compartment to make sure that he had all his belongings and once he was certain that he did, he returned his gaze to the window. As he stared out, he realized that this was the first time since claiming this seat that he'd properly taken in the view outside. From the scenery, he could tell that they had actually been traveling for quite some time. The mountains were no longer visible, and sand now filled the expanse as far as his eye could see.

He'd never been to the Gold Saucer before nor had he any interest of going there. Truth be told, he held quite a bit of resentment toward the establishment that used Corel as a gateway to bring in tourists but did absolutely nothing to help rebuild the community that it relied so heavily upon. Deep down, he knew that it wasn't their responsibility to fix anything, but it didn't stop him from being angry that they'd spent so much money to build a fancy amusement park and hadn't done anything to help the town. It all seemed a little selfish and for that reason, he'd never once considered visiting or bringing Marlene.

The light rapidly faded from the car and Barret could only assume that they were now traveling through a tunnel of some sort in order to reach the park. His theory was quickly proven correct as the sound of lively music filled his ears. Barret let out an irritated groan and closed his eyes. He just knew the others would want to stay and enjoy the park and the thought of spending anymore time in this place than absolutely necessary completely nauseated him. They'd lost so much time already that it was a complete surprise they still had any scent of Sephiroth's trail at all.

Everything seemed to complicate after Lightning came into the picture and from the beginning, all she had done was get in the way or slow them down in some way. From her very first mission with AVALANCHE, he could tell she was a magnet for trouble. It seemed like she spent half of her time in some type of trouble and the other half either dealing with some type of emotional conflict or messing with Spiky's head.

He felt bad for blaming her for the bad things that kept happening to her and he knew that she couldn't help any of it, but he still had a hard time hiding his annoyance with her. He hated what Shinra had done to her and he understood her need for vengeance, but he really wished that they would have just left her in Kalm. He had even suggested it shortly after they'd arrived and had secured her extended stay with the Inn Keeper, but Cloud was hearing none of it. Even though they were supposed to be following Sephiroth and despite the protests from nearly everyone in the group, he flat out refused to leave the town until she woke up and had barely left her side until she did. It was easy to tell that Cloud cared about her, even if he didn't fully realize just how much.

That entire situation had been stressful for Spiky, so much so that he broke his normal stoic composure to let his emotions show through. It was odd seeing that side of him, especially considering that Lightning was someone that he'd only just met a few days before. His behavior even seemed to confuse Tifa quite a bit and then that confusion turned into something else entirely once she realized that something was blossoming between the two. She was good at hiding her feelings when she wanted to, but Barret was no fool; he knew that she cared deeply for Cloud and that seeing him feel that way for another woman was tearing her apart.

Normally, Barret couldn't care less about who was involved with who. He tried to keep his nose out of other people's business and focused on his own affairs, but it was hard not to get caught up in something when it involved two of the people that he was traveling with and was literally happening right in front of his eyes. At any other time and under any other circumstance, he would not have openly objected about the relationship that was developing between Cloud and Lightning. They were both decent people that seemed to have had their fair share of hardships, and they deserved a bit of happiness. But for all of this to happen now, while they were trying to track down Sephiroth and bring down the Shinra corporation? He felt like the two of them were so caught up in each other that they were losing sight of what they had set out to do in the first place, and that he couldn't approve of.

There were other reasons that Barret couldn't approve of the timing of Cloud and Lightning's blossoming relations. For starters, it was already slowing them down. Hell, even this morning, they'd caused the group to have a late start because they decided that they wanted to curl up in each other's arms and sleep in until noon. Then there was the possibility of their relationship creating ripples within the group. What happened if they decided to break up? It would put the whole group in a bad position if something happened and things went sour between them. Most would feel pressured to choose a side and that would only create unnecessary tension. Next was the possibility that their feelings for each other might cloud their vision and cause them to behave recklessly. That had already been proven true several times already, with the most recent being Lightning's choice to travel on rotted tracks to find Cloud after he'd fallen and then again, when according to Tifa, she apparently 'jumped from a cliff' in order to get to him faster.

And Tifa… she was the number one reason that Barret couldn't approve of it. He felt bad for the poor girl. It was obvious that she had feelings for Spiky. If Barret could see it, then surely Cloud could too. No one could be that oblivious. If Cloud didn't feel the same way for Tifa, that was fine. It was really none of Barret's business who Cloud chose to be with, but he couldn't help but feel like the relationship was being flaunted in her face, especially after the little scene the two of them had set this morning. It was easy to see that it bothered Tifa seeing them like that. She tried to act supportive for the sake of her friendship with Cloud, but there was only so much that she could take before she snapped, and when she finally did, it would most certainly create issues among the group.

"Hey Barret, you coming?"

Barret broke his gaze away from the window to see the subject of his thoughts peeking through the compartment door at him. He quickly looked back out the window to find that he was now staring at a dimly lit platform. Off in the distance, a roller coaster and other amusement park rides looped around and around, while what seemed like a hundred spot lights danced in the sky.

Barret could almost picture Marlene's face lit up at the sight of this place and he began to feel very guilty for never bringing her. He despised the Gold Saucer, but after imagining the smile it would no doubt bring to her face, he began to reconsider the possibility. Perhaps they could visit, just the two of them, once this was all over? He'd been gone for so long and it would do them both a world of good to spend some quality time together. Once they stopped Sephiroth and brought down the Shinra, they could be together all the time, and for once, they could be a normal family. That is, if they ever managed to do those things. At the rate they were going, Sephiroth will have accomplished whatever evil deed he was planning and the Shinra will have drained the world of all its life before they caught up to either.

"Yeah," he replied as he tried to keep his face as neutral as possible as to avoid anymore questions.

"Hey," Tifa said as she held out a hand to stop him as he was trying to pass. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered with a shrug. "Let's get movin'."

Barret stepped out onto the platform to find that the others were already outside waiting. Red sat quietly as his single amber eye focused on Yuffie and Aeris, who were both giggling excitedly and pointing to various attractions that could be seen in the distance. Cloud was standing near Lightning and both had unamused looks on their faces as they surveyed what could be seen of the amusement park. Lightning then shifted her gaze back to the cable car and adopted a perplexed expression.

"Weren't those propellers on the other side of the car when we left North Corel?" she finally asked, bringing the other's attention to it as well.

"I don't think so," Aeris replied as she looked up at them and then scratched her head thoughtfully.

"Have you been drinking?" Yuffie accused with a laugh. "The propellers can't move!"

"I suppose you're right," she conceded, but didn't appear to be completely convinced as she looked back at them again as the group moved toward the large orange arch that marked the entrance to the Gold Saucer. Neon yellow wooden letters hung from the arch spelling the word 'WELCOME' and above the arch were two very large eyes. The entrance was supposed to be in the shape of some type of creature, but no matter how hard he racked his mind, Barret couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. Beside the entrance sat perhaps the largest stuffed Chocobo that he'd ever laid eyes upon and in front of it stood a very pretty blonde lady who smiled at them as they approached.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer," she greeted. "Are you together? A single pass is 3,000 gil, or you can purchase a lifetime pass for 30,000 gil."

Barret heard Lightning let out a choked cough in surprise before whispering to Cloud, "Is she serious? A ticket to this place costs more than my gunblade." He shook his head, clearly just as surprised as she was by the heavy price before rummaging around in his pocket and separating the required notes.

"Thank you very much," the woman beamed as Cloud passed the money over. "If you leave the Gold Saucer, your tickets become invalid. Here at the Gold Saucer, there are many places where you must pay with GP. Just think of GP as money that you can only use at the Gold Saucer. GP can be redeemed at the games in the Wonder Square and at the Chocobo Races. Your limit is 10,000, so please be careful. And please, enjoy yourselves," she added as she extended her arm to welcome them into the establishment.

The group proceeded through the tunnel and emerged in a brightly colored dome. Under their feet, and painted onto the floor, were the images of two Moogles and a Chocobo. On the walls, were six rainbow colored circles that Barret could only assume were connected to slides, and on the ground in front of them lay the descriptions to where they each of them led. In the middle of the wall between the holes, was a large board with the word 'Info' painted on the ground below it.

"Wow!" Aeris exclaimed as she ran past the group to observe the information board. "Let's have fun!"

' _And there it is_ ,' Barret thought bitterly as Aeris looked at the group excitedly, hoping that the others would share her enthusiasm. Both Cloud and Lightning were looking around at the place with identical sour expressions and Red was sitting in silence and observing the others like he always did. Yuffie seemed to be just as excited as Aeris at the prospect of playing in the amusement park and Tifa seemed to be torn on the matter by the way she kept shifting her gaze between Cloud and the dark holes on the wall. _'They ain't really considerin' this, right?'_ he wondered angrily when no one disagreed with Aeris' suggestion.

"I know this isn't the right time to do this," Aeris continued as she took in each of their conflicting expressions. "Hey, Barret, cheer up!" she added as she crossed the room to place her hand on his shoulder making him realize that he'd just spun around, and his hand was now clenched angrily at his side.

"…I ain't in a cheery mood," he shot back as he shrugged her hand away, "so jus' leave me alone.'

"Really? That's too bad," she relied sarcastically and then walked away. "Let's go!" she continued excitedly, and Barret could only assume by the loud sigh that she was now trying to win Cloud over to her side.

"...Wasn't that a little harsh, Aeris!?" Tifa could be heard whispering.

"Just act normal when this happens," Aeris relied in a low, almost inaudible voice.

"You think so…?"

"Of course!" came Aeris' reply and Barret felt his blood begin to boil. Were they really talking about him like he was a child? Like he was some whiny school boy throwing a tantrum? Were they really regarding him as the bad guy who was spoiling all of their fun when he was the only damn person whose mind was still on the mission?

"We're gonna go play…" Aeris informed him as she peeked her head around his muscular body to look at his face. Barret could feel the rage rising to the surface and as hard as he tried, he couldn't suppress it… not this time.

"SO PLAY!" Barret shouted back at her causing her to leap back in alarm. "…mess around all you want!" he continued as he rounded on the rest of the group with his arms flailing wildly through the air. "Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!" he added angrily as he shot across the room and jumped through one of the holes in the wall.

 _'_ _They'll be sorry… every one of them!'_

* * *

"… I think he's mad," Aeris remarked as the group watched Barret storm across the dome shaped room and jump into the hole labeled 'Wonder Square'.

"You think?" Lightning asked as she rolled her eyes. "Did you really have to antagonize him like that?" She knew that Aeris had meant no harm by what she had done, but Lightning couldn't help but find herself slightly annoyed by the brunette's actions. It was easy to see that Barret was upset after what had happened with the people in the previous town and there was no doubt that recalling such painful memories had only made it worse.

"I didn't think he'd get that mad," Aeris replied innocently.

"He'll be fine," Tifa inserted. "He seems to be doing a little better now."

"He seems to be the exact opposite of fine," Lightning disagreed. "He's beginning to unravel."

"Hmm," Tifa hummed in an attempt to end the discussion without further debate. "What should we do now?" she asked in hopes of changing the subject.

"I wanna go on the roller coaster!" Aeris announced. "Anyone care to join?"

"I think I'll pass on that," Yuffie replied. "People aren't meant to move that fast. I think I'll walk around and see if there are any gift shops. You never know where you might find good materia," she added with a wink before disappearing through the hole labeled 'Ghost Square'.

"Come on, Aeris, I'll go on the roller coaster with you," Tifa smiled. "Now, which way was it again," she thought aloud as she crossed the room to study the information board. "Speed Square! Okay, ready to go? Cloud, Light? You two want to come?"

Lightning and Cloud exchanged amused looks for a brief second before turning back to the girls. "No thanks," Cloud chuckled. "Have fun."

"Please be careful," Tifa replied as she and Aeris proceeded to the correct slide. "Sephiroth might be around," she added as she hopped through the opening and then was quickly followed by Aeris.

"What about you?" Lightning asked the red furred beast that hadn't said a single word since they'd arrived.

"I think I'm just going to rest for a bit," Red replied. "There isn't much a creature like me can do in a place like this."

"Okay then… it looks like the hotel is in the 'Ghost Square'."

"Thank you," he nodded as he crossed the room and leapt through the dark hole.

"What now?" Lightning asked as she turned to face Cloud.

'What would you like to do?" he asked. "Have you ever been to a place like this before?"

"No," Lightning admitted. "We had a place on Cocoon called Nautilus. It was just like this place. Serah and I always wanted to go when we were children, but we never made it. I'd planned on surprising her… you know, before everything happened. I wanted to take some time away from work and go away for a while… just the two of us. I wanted to take her to Nautilus."

Even now, just the very memory of the events leading up to their time as l'Cie felt like a hot knife in Lightning's gut. It was true that she had planned on taking time away from work to spend with Serah, but she omitted the reason why she had decided to do so. The truth was that it had all been a ploy to get Serah away from Snow. She hadn't approved of Serah's budding relationship with the rambunctious and irresponsible leader of NORA and she had openly vocalized her disproval to her sister several times. She couldn't see what her sister saw in that man, and in the end, Lightning convinced herself that it was her deteriorating relationship with Serah and her resulting loneliness that led to her attraction to someone who was her polar opposite.

"I'm sure she would have loved it," Cloud smiled. "And maybe one day you'll get to take her."

"Cloud…" Lightning replied softly. "I won't be going back."

"But what about Serah?" he questioned. It was easy to see that he was conflicted over how he should feel about what she had said, as if he didn't know whether he should be happy that he wouldn't have to say goodbye or sad that she would never be seeing her sister again.

"Serah doesn't need me to look after her anymore," Lightning answered. "She has Snow… and I have you. Serah can survive in a world without me… but I can't survive in a world without you, so this is where I'll stay."

With her words, Cloud pulled her close and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I love you," he whispered softly.

"And I love you," she whispered in return. "So, you're stuck with me now," she added with a laugh.

"I couldn't imagine anyone else I'd rather be stuck with," he replied with a grin. "So… have you decided what you wanna do yet"

"I don't know," she answered. "Since I've never been to a place like this, I'm not really sure what all there is to do."

"Let's check that board over there. It might help guide us in the right direction," he suggested. She nodded in agreement before following him over to the information board. "It looks like the 'Event Square' is a theatre," Cloud observed as he studied the board. "The 'Speed Square' leads to the roller coaster… that's where Aeris and Tifa went…." he continued as he traced his finger over the board, reading through the information. "Um….. I think the 'Round Square' is another ride… a gondola? The 'Ghost Square' is the hotel and gift shop…. Red and Yuffie went there… The 'Battle Square'… now that looks promising… looks like the 'Wonder Square' is an arcade… and then there's the 'Chocobo Square'… Chocobo racing. Any of those sound interesting to you?" he questioned as he turned around to face her again.

"I'm not really sure," Lightning responded as she looked over the information for herself. "There's so much to choose from."

"I have an idea… why don't we go on a date?" he suggested.

"A date?" she repeated with uncertainty. "Are you sure this is the right time for something like that?"

"Why not?" he pressed. "We're here anyway. Why not enjoy it together? Unless… you don't want to?"

"You're right," she agreed. "I do want to… I've just never done anything like this before, so I don't really know what to do," she admitted with a hint of embarrassment.

"Then I guess we'll learn together," he replied with a warm smile. "What do you say we start at the Chocobo Square and work our way around?"

"Sounds good," she nodded, "…. But let's go check on Barret first. He seemed really upset and I want to make sure he isn't causing any trouble."

"That's probably a good idea," he agreed. "I think he went to the 'Wonder Square'…. Well, after you," he grinned as he gestured toward the hole.

"Isn't there another way?" Lightning asked as she peeked through the opening to look at the long slide that plummeted into the darkness.

"Doesn't look like it," he chuckled. "I know, it's all a little silly… I guess it's just part of the experience."

"Yay!" Lightning cheered sarcastically before jumping into the hole. The ride to the bottom was much quicker than she'd expected, and no sooner had she adjusted to the darkness, her feet made contact with the ground once again. The platform she'd landed on was brightly lit and up ahead, she spotted a staircase leading to the second floor, which housed an arcade packed full of games. Standing near the stairs was a fat pink stuffed moogle and atop his head sat a small black and white cat. When Cloud landed beside her, the cat turned and stared at them curiously with his bright green eyes.

"Hey, you!" the cat shouted in a shrill voice, which caused Lightning and Cloud to exchange confused looks. "What're you lookin' so down for?" he asked as he and the fat moogle began hopping over to them.

"Is that cat talking?" Cloud whispered.

"How is he controlling that stuffed animal?" Lightning whispered back, obviously less alarmed than Cloud by the fact that the animal was talking to them. After meeting Red, the idea of talking animals was no longer a foreign concept to her.

"How 'bout it?" the cat continued. "Want me to read your fortunes!? A bright future! A happy future! Oh, but don't hold it against me it doesn't come true."

"Not interested," Lightning and Cloud said in unison and then exchanged amused laughs, which caused the cat let out a small chuckle of his own.

"I'm a fortune telling machine," the cat went on, ignoring their previous answer. "The names Cait Sith."

"You can only tell the future?" Cloud asked.

"You kidding?" the cat laughed. "I can find missing things, missing people, anything!"

"Then can you tell me where a man named Sephiroth is?" Cloud inquired.

"Sephiroth, right!? Cait Sith asked as he scratched his head. "Okay, here goes!" he added and then the fat moogle began to dance. A few moments later the moogle stopped and then passed Cloud a piece of paper.

"…Ordinary Luck," Cloud read from paper. "It will be an active fortune. Give into the good of others, and something big'll happen after summer…. Wait… hold on…"

Lightning took the piece of paper from Cloud and read the words herself. "Come on, Cloud," she said as she grabbed him by the hand to pull him away. "This thing is just a stupid toy… he can't really tell you where Sephiroth is."

"Huh?" Cait Sith replied in confusion. "Let me try again," he begged as the moogle rushed in front of them and began dancing again.

"Be careful of forgetfulness," Cloud read from a second piece of paper. "Your lucky color is… blue?"

"…Forget it," Cloud sighed as he tossed the paper back at the cat and began to walk away.

"Wait," Cait Sith called as the fat moogle reached out and grabbed him by the arm, "Give me another chance!"

"Can I just kill it?" Lightning asked as she dropped her hand to grip the handle of her gunblade.

"Wait!" the cat begged as he held out a paw to stop her. "Let me try again!"

Lightning huffed in annoyance and the cat began dancing again, this time much faster. She tightened her grip around her weapon and waited for the stuffed animal to pass over the piece of paper. If this cat continued to waste any more of their time, she swore that she'd decapitate both him and his stuffed animal. Finally, the moogle stopped dancing and passed Cloud the final piece of paper. He unfolded it and then stared at it for a moment with a look of absolute horror on his face.

"What the?" he wondered aloud.

"What is it?" Lightning asked, but her question found no response. Instead Cloud just stared at the piece of paper. She snatched the paper from his hands and read the words for herself.

 _'_ _What you pursue will be yours, but you will lose something dear.'_

"What the hell is this?" Lightning asked as she thrust the paper back at the cat.

"I don't know if it's good or bad…" he replied as he studied the paper. "This's the first time I ever got something like THIS…. Well then, shall we?"

"What?" Lightning asked in confusion.

"Being a fortune teller, this is gonna bug me," he went on. "If I don't see how it turns out, I'll never be able to relax. So, I'm going with you."

"The hell you are!" Lightning shot back. "Seriously, Cloud, can I kill this thing?"

"I'm comin' with you no matter WHAT you say!" the cat replied. "I can help you."

"What could you possibly help us with?" Lightning argued. "You're just a stupid toy designed to rip people off with your phony fortunes."

"That's normally true, but not this time," Cait Sith answered. "I can help you locate your friend, the man with the gun arm… he was an angry fella. Seemed like he'd rather shoot me than talk to me."

"Who could blame him?" Lightning muttered as she continued to glare at the cat. "So, where is he?"

"This way, I'll show you," he responded cheerfully as he hopped past them and jumped into the hole labeled 'Speed Square'.

"What do you think?" Lightning asked as she turned to look at Cloud, who seemed to be lost in thought.

"What...? Oh, um… I wouldn't think that Barret would be one for roller coasters," Cloud replied. "…But who knows? He may have gone to find Aeris and apologize."

"You think?" Lightning questioned. For some reason, she didn't see Barret's pride allowing him to do such a thing.

"I don't know," Cloud shrugged. "The cat could be leading us on… or he could actually be there. Only one way to find out, I guess."

"I suppose…" Lightning replied softly. "But I don't trust this cat."

"I know. Neither do I," he agreed. "…Well, so much for date night," he added with a sigh.

Lightning and Cloud followed Cait Sith down the slide to the 'Speed Square' and when they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, the fat Moogle could be seen dancing, while a small child clapped excitedly. They reached Cait Sith just as the child lunged forward to hug the Moogle before running off to join her parents. The cat looked up at their presence and gave a crooked smile.

"I see you've decided to take me up on my offer," the cat remarked.

"And I see you like to con children out of their money as well," Lightning replied dryly, causing the cat to shoot her a dirty look.

"Where's Barret," Cloud interrupted.

"Oh, him?" the cat laughed. "That guy over there might know," he informed them as the Moogle extended an arm to point at a man that was stood by the stairs leading to the attraction.

The man that Cait Sith was referring to had long dark, almost black hair and bright blue eyes. It was fairly obvious that he took great pride in his physical appearance and didn't have an ounce of modesty because he wore only a tiny red pair of shorts to show off his muscular, well-oiled body. It looked as though this barefoot and mostly-naked man belonged at the beach rather than walking around an amusement park. He shifted his gaze in their direction and gave Lightning a wink when he caught her staring, which caused her stomach to churn with nausea.

"Hey boy!" he boomed when Cloud approached him.

"Boy…" Cloud repeated, clearly unamused by the way the man had addressed him.

"How is it? You having fun?" the man asked and then his gaze shifted back to Lightning. "Mmm, so, you ARE having fun. Well, good for you, boy."

"My name's Cloud, and stop calling me boy," Cloud replied in annoyance.

"Mmm?" the man hummed. "Me? I'm the owner of the Gold Saucer. The name's Dio… Just call me 'Dio'," he added as he began to flex his biceps.

"He's not even listening," Cloud whispered as he rolled his eyes and then took Lightning by the arm to leave.

"By the way, boy," Dio continued, "do you know what a 'Black Materia' is?"

"Yeah, I know," Cloud shrugged as he kept walking.

"Hahaha!" Dio laughed. "That, I say, that's a good one, boy! But it's not good to lie. You can't fool me!"

"Then why'd you ask me?" Cloud shot back in irritation.

"Well, a while back, a boy your age came in and asked me if I had 'Black Materia'," Dio explained. "I thought you might know who he was, seein' as you're both about the same age."

"Did he happen to have… a black cape?" Cloud asked as he spun around with renewed interest.

"Why yes, yes indeed," Dio replied. "And a tattoo on his hand that said '1'."

 _Sephiroth!_

"Where did he go!?" Cloud demanded.

"Hahaha, I have no idea," Dio chuckled and then began to flex his biceps again. "Well then, I say, stop by the Battle Arena if you like, boy. You'll probably like it. Many of my collections are on display there," he added as he turned to flex the muscles in his back before disappearing into the tunnel labelled 'Station'.

"Do you think he was really talking about Sephiroth?" Lightning asked.

"It sounded like it," Cloud replied. "I wonder where he went? Maybe we should check out Dio's collection in the Battle Arena? We might find a clue as to where he went."

"What about Barret?" Lightning asked as she scanned the area up ahead. "Shouldn't we find him first?"

"I'd say he's fine," Cloud replied. "If he'd caused any trouble, we'd have heard about it by now."

"I suppose you're right," she conceded.

They found no slide in the tunnel that led to their next destination, just a long and cold corridor. The path grew darker as they proceeded further, and off in the distance, the lights flickered ominously. As they reached the end, Lightning couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The other areas they had travelled to had been very lively and filled with laughter; this area, however, was so silent that a pin drop could be heard. She didn't expect many children or families to populate this area and she'd anticipated that the area would have a more serious atmosphere, but this wasn't what'd she expected at all; in fact, nothing about it felt right. When they stepped out onto the platform, her fears were instantly confirmed when she saw a lone Shinra soldier standing at the base of the steps leading into the Battle Arena.

Both Cloud and Lightning immediately reached for their weapons as the man's head turned toward them, but quickly released them as the man gave them a pained look before collapsing to his knees and then to the ground. They both rushed forward to inspect him and discovered that his back was bloody from two bullet holes that had cut through his uniform. Cloud reached his hand down and placed it on the man's neck and then shook his head.

"Dead..." he confirmed as he pulled his hand away and looked around the platform cautiously.

"What are Shinra soldiers doing here?" Lightning asked as Cloud got to his feet and began sprinting up the stairs. "Cloud!? Where are you going?" she called as she sprang forward after him.

When they reached the Battle Arena, they found a lobby smeared and stained with the blood of several Shinra soldiers that now littered the floor. Two receptionists were slumped over their desks in a pool of their own blood and their eyes were still wide and full of fear despite the fact that they had been robbed of life. The sweet metallic smell of blood hung heavily in the air and the room was so cold that it chilled Lightning to the bone.

"Did Sephiroth do this?" she asked quietly.

"No... it's not him..." Cloud replied as he examined one of the bodies. "They're all shot... Sephiroth would never use a gun..."

"Ugh..." one of the receptionists coughed bringing attention to the fact that she was actually still alive. "Ugggggh."

"Hey, what happened?" Cloud asked as he ran over to her and swept the red blood stained hair out of her face.

"Ugh..." she groaned as she attempted to sit upright and then let out another painful cough that sprayed his face with blood. "A man... with a gun... on his arm..." she managed choke out before collapsing again. Cloud placed his fingers on her neck and then slowly shook his head again.

"A man with a gun on his arm," Lightning repeated. "Cloud, you don't think...?" she began to question and then shook the thought from her mind. It was no secret that Barret hated the Shinra and she could easily imagine him slaughtering these men, but innocents? The receptionists had done no wrong to him, so he would have no reason to kill them... unless they had just been collateral damage. _'A man with a gun on his arm',_ the receptionist had said. Lightning didn't know anyone else that matched that description. Barret had been upset when he'd stormed off, but she never imagined that he'd go on a rampage and start killing innocent people. "It can't be..." she murmured softly and then dropped her eyes to the blood splattered ground.

The distinct sound of a gun cocking behind her immediately brought her back to attention and she quickly retrieved her gunblade, spun around, and extended it out in front of her, ready to fire. Cloud looked up in confusion at her sudden movement and began reaching for his own weapon, but a voice halted him. "Hold it right there!" a deep voice commanded. "And stay quiet!"

At the top of the stairs now stood two Shinra grunts with their weapons raised and pointed in their direction, and between the two men, stood Dio, whose face was contorted with rage. "Did you guys do this!?" he asked as he pointed a finger accusingly.

"N... no," Cloud stammered. "It wasn't us!"

"Don't lie to me, boy!" Dio shouted. "She has a gun!"

"To defend herself from whoever did this?" Cloud countered angrily.

"Hurry and run! This is about to get ugly," Cait Sith instructed as the fat Moogle grabbed Lightning by the arm and began to pull her up the stairs and into the next room that appeared to be the Battle Arena itself.

They raced to the other side of the room and tried to shove open the door, but quickly discovered that it was sealed tight. They were trapped like caged animals, with no other options than to fight or get captured. Lightning raised her gunblade defensively and then shifted her gaze to Cloud, who returned her worried expression. Dio and the soldiers posed absolutely no treat to them whatsoever and could easily be dispatched, but killing the owner of the Gold Saucer would surely paint a target on their backs and mark them as fugitives and enemies of the public. If they went through with that, there wouldn't be a place in this world they could hide. They'd live on the run and Lightning's new life on Gaia would be no different than her life as a cursed l'Cie. She wanted a happy life with Cloud and she knew that killing this man would guarantee the exact opposite.

The alternative wasn't very promising though. What would happen if they allowed themselves to be captured? Would Dio hand them over to the Shinra? Would they spend the rest of their lives rotting in a Shinra dungeon, or perhaps be executed for the mass murder that occurred here tonight? Or maybe these Shinra grunts would recognize their mako infused eyes and associate them with SOLDIER? If that were the case, they would no doubt be interrogated by higher officials, potentially the Turks, for their crimes against the company. Any of the Turks would recognize them immediately and then Lightning would most likely find herself back in Hojo's custody, and that was a risk that she wasn't willing to take.

"That's as far as you go," Dio stated as he and the soldiers stepped into the room.

"Wait, listen to…" Cloud began.

"Enough!" Dio interrupted. "That girl will pay for what she has done here tonight, and she will spend the rest of her life rotting in the prison below!"

"What!?" Cloud argued. "She didn't do anything!"

"Lies," Dio shook his head dismissively. "She was found at the crime scene with the murder weapon in hand and she will be punished accordingly... now stand aside."

"Like hell," Cloud shot back. "If she's guilty then so am I. I'll take whatever punishment she receives as well."

"Only criminals go to heaven, boy," Dio replied. "It's a life sentence and you have committed no crime here, now for the last time, stand aside."

"Stand aside, Cloud," Lightning repeated as she lowered her gunblade and then dropped it with a loud clank on the ground, which caused him to look at her in confusion.

"What?" he gaped.

"It's okay," she replied. "There's no point in both of us going. Find the others and tell them what happened. I'll be okay," she added before dropping her voice to a whisper. "Please, Cloud. This is better than the alternative."

Cloud opened his mouth to argue, but when the two of them locked eyes, he seemed to understand exactly what she had meant by that comment. He knew that she and the rest of the group stood a much better chance of escaping the Shira if she just went along quietly. He shot a brief glance at the Shinra soldiers and Lightning could tell that he was weighing his options, specifically about whether or not he wanted to kill them, before finally lowering his gaze in defeat. "Fine," he replied, "but I will find a way to get you out of there."

"You heard'em, boys," Dio replied. "Send her to Heaven."

"Um... Sir?" One of the soldiers spoke up as he proceeded to handcuff her. "What about her weapon?"

"Let her keep it," Dio instructed as he walked forward, picked up the gunblade and then stuffed it into her holster. "A pretty thing like her will need all the protection she can have down there," he chuckled as he returned to the top of the steps. "I'll leave you to it," he stated as he nodded to the guard that now had his rifle pressed painfully to Lightning's back. "You two, clear the area, this is a crime scene after all... see them out, would you?"

"Yes, Sir," the second guard replied and then tightened his grip on his own rifle. "You heard him... get moving."

"I'll find a way to get you out," Cloud promised as the guard ushered him away. "I promise."

Cloud and Cait Sith exited up the stairs and back into the lobby, while the guard steered Lightning towards the locked door behind her. The door opened and she was guided into the next room, which was completely empty save for a few chains that decorated the walls. The floor was covered with a green sticky slime and in the center the words 'Gateway to Heaven' surrounded what appeared to be a trap door.

"I oughta just leave these on," the soldier remarked as he briefly looked over his shoulder to ensure that they were alone before gripping her arms tightly to remove the handcuffs, "but the boss thinks you should at least be able to defend yourself down there," he continued. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't show you any sympathy. I'd toss your sorry ass down there and let you get what's coming to you…. It's been a while since we've sent a woman down," he added as he lowered his voice and then leaned in so close to her that she could feel his hot sticky breath on the back of her neck. "Maybe I'll come pay you a visit later, hmm?"

Lightning felt sick to her stomach and more than anything she wanted to headbutt this creep and break his nose for talking to her the way he had, but she remained silent and still. If she attacked him now, he really might take her weapon away and send her down handcuffed. She knew that it was in her best interest to play along for now. She didn't know what awaited her down below, but she knew she'd rather face it with two free hands and a weapon; and from the way it sounded, she would need both if she wanted to survive.

The soldier yanked the cuffs free and then grabbed her painfully by her hair, pulling her backwards so that her body was now touching his own. His face lingered beside hers for a few moments and then he tightened his grip on her hair and then kissed the side of her neck before shoving her so hard that she landed painfully on her hands and knees in the middle of the trapdoor. She looked back at him in rage and he gave her a wicked smile.

"I'll be seeing you later, Sweetheart," he winked as he pulled a level on the wall, which caused the floor to disappear beneath her and Lightning to plummet into darkness.

"I'll be seeing you later, Sweetheart," he winked as he pulled a level on the wall, which caused the floor to disappear beneath her and Lightning to plummet into darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey y'all! I feel like I do this with each update, but let me start by apologizing for the delay. I know I keep citing work as my reason, but I promise that it's keeping me busy. I took a new position back in February and I spent months learning something that I never in a million years thought I would end up doing. Well, I guess I did pretty well with it because they decided to promote me lol. Anywho, that's what I've been up to lately.**

 **So, how's everyone been doing? I'm happy to see that there is still so much interest in the story and I was truly overwhelmed by the amount of support I received after the last update… You all are far too kind. I just want to say thank you to everyone for your patience and your continued support. It really means the world to me.**

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope it didn't disappoint. I know what you're all thinking though.. There's no way that Cloud would let her go down there alone and I completely agree. However, certain parts of this section of the game didn't make a lot of sense to me. The first being how the rest of the group ended up in prison. Cloud, Cait Sith, and whoever Cloud chose to go with obviously ended up there because Dio thought they killed the people in the battle square, but what about the others that weren't with them? The game doesn't explain how they ended up down there with them, so that's where Cloud now comes in. In the game, it didn't make sense to me that Cloud and co. were accused in the first place seeing as no one at the crime scene had a gun lol. And the fact that they were captured definitely didn't make sense. Come on.. Two grunts and a baby oiled man in a speedo versus Cloud.. The man that can take on tanks? Yeah right! Lol. That's why decided to have Lightning take the blame for it all, seeing as she's the only one present that has a gun.. And then I thought it was important to go into her reasons for not fighting back and allowing herself to be captured. She knows that she'd rather face what Dio has planned for her than ending up with Hojo again. Anyway, I hope you all liked my take on things.**

 **The next chapter will find Lightning way out of her comfort zone and stuck in a very difficult situation, and we will also get to see a bit more of Barret. Speaking of: what did you all think of his part? This is the first time that I've written him so hopefully I did a good job. I know that I mostly stick with Light and Cloud when I write these things, but sometimes I think the story calls for a fresh perspective.. Especially during an arc that features that character and their backstory. I love capturing the different thoughts and feelings of each character that I write.**

 **Last, but most certainly not least, I would like to extend my eternal thanks to Wolf for being the best beta reader in the world and keeping me in check. No one knows Final Fantasy VII quite like he does lol. I also want to thank everyone who took the time to review chapter 24. I noticed that there are a few new readers out there.. Welcome and thank you for taking the time to review, follow and/or favorite. The support of the readers is what keeps me going.. So, whether you're a new or you've been with me for a while, thank you for your time and support.**

 **I love you all!**

 **Lady A**

 **P.S.: Can you all believe that I've been working on this thing for over a year now!? I didn't think I'd make it past the first two chapters and now here I am.. Moving on to chapter 26!**


	27. Chapter 26: Heaven and Hell, Part 1

**Chapter 26 – Heaven and Hell**

The floor vanished from beneath her and Lightning felt weightless as her body plummeted into the darkness. No sooner had she adjusted to the strange but familiar feeling of her organs being displaced by the sudden loss of gravity, she found herself colliding painfully with a slide of some sort. It was far too dark to really see much of anything and the only traces of light could be seen through small cracks and the occasional hole from a missing screw. Despite the slight breeze from sliding downward, the tunnel was uncomfortably hot, and Lightning began to feel faint from the stale and oxygen deprived air.

As she gained more speed and slid further down, Lightning began to wonder just how long she would be in the tunnel, and then suddenly, she made contact with something plastic that immediately retracted as soon as her feet touched it. Lightning could only assume that it had been a door of some sort and she was instantly proven correct as her feet made contact with a second and then her eyes were assaulted by bright light. She felt weightless once more and she had barely begun to process what was happening when she was suddenly reacquainted with gravity. As soon as her feet met the surface a sharp pain shot straight up her right leg and Lightning let out a soft cry.

Lightning felt her head meet the ground and she opened her eyes to find herself staring up at a bright blue sky. Her ankle throbbed painfully and she knew that she needed to inspect the damage, but she couldn't will her body to move. It was hard to make sense of her new environment. Any noise was drowned out by the loud sound of blood rushing in her ears and the shock of her head hitting the ground made her neck feel stiff and she was almost too afraid to move it. The ground beneath her felt warm but uneven, so it was easy for Lightning to deduce that she was now lying in the sand. She concluded that she must have finally reached the prison and with that realization, her heart began to pound furiously in her chest and her senses quickly sharpened.

She bolted upright and quickly looked around and then let out a loud sigh of relief when she realized that no one had been around to see her arrival. She didn't really know much about the prison, but based on the fact that Dio had let her keep her weapon, it was easy to gather that it wasn't a very safe place, especially for a woman. The revolting behavior of the Shinra grunt earlier further proved this suspicion and the last thing Lightning wanted was for her presence to be noticed by the other inmates. She knew that she needed to get out of the open and fast.

She began to get up, but a sharp pain in her foot quickly halted her progress. She slumped back onto the ground and removed her boot to discover a heavily bruised ankle, which was most likely broken from her fall. Lightning cursed under her breath and began to dig frantically through her thigh pouch, praying that she had any type of restorative materia. Her fingers closed around one orb and the familiar surge through her body quickly informed her that she had found her namesake. She knew that she'd probably need it later, so she pulled it out and stuffed it into a more accessible pocket in her white overcoat, and then plunged her hand back into her pouch in search of anything else useful. When her hand only returned a heal materia, she growled in frustration and tossed it aside.

Lightning closed her eyes and thought for a moment and then snatched up the heal materia once again. It was only supposed to be good for curing status ailments and healing infections, but perhaps it might prove to be of some use after all. She knew that it would never mend the bones if her ankle was truly broken, but perhaps it would take some of the pain away. She held the materia to her left wrist and watched it sink beneath the surface, and soon the warm power coursed through her body. She held out her hand and willed the magic onto her ankle. When the light receded, Lightning sighed in disappointment. The spell hadn't done anything at all. Her ankle was just as bruised and painful as it was before. She had never been the best at healing spells—mediocre would have been putting it nicely. But although, they had never been her forte, she had never failed when her comrades had needed her. She just needed to concentrate and try harder.

Closing her eyes, Lightning focused her thoughts into the power coursing through her veins and tried to become one with it. _I can do this_ , she thought as she felt the power becoming stronger and stronger. With her eyes still closed, Lightning released the magic onto her ankle and suddenly the pain receded. It wasn't completely gone, but it was much more manageable. Lightning opened her eyes, praying for slightly better results, but her eyes found the same disgusting and discolored sight as before. The materia hadn't restored it even in the slightest, but seemed to have numbed it, and that, Lightning could work with.

She pulled herself from the ground, placing all of her weight on her left leg, and properly looked around at her surroundings. From the looks of it, she had landed in a junk yard of some sort. Debris and waste littered the sandy ground around her and nearby an old beat up car had been abandoned next to a tall metal structure. Near where she had landed, was a hole in the ground and surrounding it was rusted metal piping. To the right of where she stood in the junk yard, all Lightning could see was open desert and to left, a small run down town.

Neither option seemed very promising, but Lightning knew that in her current condition, she stood a better chance out in the open desert. After what the Shinra grunt had done at the Gold Saucer, Lightning really didn't have to use her imagination to understand the type of men that resided down here, and unless they had been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time like she had, they had more than likely done something to deserve their life sentences. They were thieves, murders, and rapists... the very worst people that this planet had to offer and by an unlucky chance of fate, she had been sentenced to walk among them. Her instincts were screaming at her to head in the opposite direction into the open desert, but Lightning knew that her chances of survival were low unless she had proper supplies.

Stumbling over to a pile of rubble, she managed to locate a long piece of scrap metal that she could use as a crutch and then slowly began making her way towards a large plastic sun faded sign to better observe the town. From her position, she couldn't see much aside from a large concrete building with 'COREL 29' painted onto the front of it. The building itself looked like a prison and appeared to be the only maintained structure around, so Lightning assumed that most of the inmates probably lived inside. Connected to the side of the building was a freight elevator that stretched upward probably around a thousand feet and connected to the bottom of a large suspended structure, that she could only assume was the bottom of the Gold Saucer. The entrance to the elevator was surrounded by tall electric fencing and outside the gate stood two heavily armed Shinra Soldiers.

A bit further from the structure, stood a few small and run-down houses. The closest appeared to be abandoned, so Lightning hoped that she might be able to find some supplies inside, or at very least, that it might provide her cover until she was able to figure out her next move. Sneaking up to the back of the house, she peeked into the cracked window and found nothing but a bunch of broken furniture scattered about and an old worn couch sitting right in the middle of the single room. It didn't look like anyone had occupied this house in a very long time, so it seemed like it would be a good place for her to lay low for a while or at least she was able to get herself together.

Peeking around the side of the house, she spotted two topless and heavily tattooed men sitting in the shade of an old beat up semi-truck, playing cards. She knew that it would be too risky to venture to the front of the house and risk being seen by one of them, so she decided that it would be best to attempt to climb through one of the two back windows. The window that she had used previously was closed tightly and refused to budge, so she assumed that it had been locked from the inside. After fighting with the second, she managed to raise it about two inches before it got stuck as well. Hissing in frustration, she shifted her weight fully onto her left leg and then used her makeshift crutch as a tool to pry it open.

After a few minutes of struggling, the window finally opened a few more inches, just enough for Lightning to try and squeeze herself through. She slid her crutch through first and then cringed when she heard it slide down the wall and then clang loudly on the wooden floor of the house. For a second, she thought about abandoning the whole idea out of fear that someone had heard the racket, but decided against it when she realized that she probably wouldn't get very far without that piece of scrap metal.

She managed to squeeze through the window opening easily enough and once she was fully inside, she reached down and retrieved her crutch before turning around to close the window behind her. Limping over to the door, she checked for a lock and quickly discovered that there wasn't one. She stood for a moment, surveying the broken furniture before selecting a long narrow piece of wood to wedge under the doorknob. She wasn't the most confident in her locking mechanism, but it was the best she could do with the little resources that she had.

She retrieved two large pieces of fabric from the broken dresser and then hobbled over to the window and did her best to cover them. Given that she didn't have proper tools, she didn't know how long they would hold up, but she prayed that it would at least last her until she figured out what to do next. She didn't know how long that might take, but she hoped that her stay here would only be temporary and that her presence in the town would remain unnoticed.

Once she was somewhat comfortable that she wouldn't be seen and that no one would be able to enter and catch her off guard, she made her way over to the dirty couch, removed her gunblade from its holster, and then laid down, using the one cushion to elevate her injured ankle. As she laid there, with her weapon resting in her hands against her chest, she stared at the ceiling and her mind immediately went to Cloud. She knew that he was probably out of his mind with worry for her and she hated to think how he might be dealing with that. He would do anything to keep her safe and she prayed that he wouldn't do anything too drastic.

She was most certainly no damsel in distress, and normally, she liked to handle things herself, no matter how difficult the situation was. But this time, there wasn't anything she wouldn't do to see him burst through that door. She had never been in a situation quite like this before and that truly terrified her. The circumstances in which she had landed would have been difficult no matter what physical condition she was in, but she was truly at a disadvantage this time. She had no way to run or fight properly, and without the ability to properly use her sword, her weapon would only be as good as her ammo supply. She hadn't checked recently, but she knew that it was low, and she most certainly didn't have enough bullets if she had to take on the entire town. Then left her materia. She was thankful that she had her lightning materia, however, the power of the materia was directly tied to her own energy, and with her wound, she didn't know how long she would be able to keep it going if she were pushed to it.

She yet out an involuntary yawn and then shifted her eyes to the door. Nothing could be heard outside aside from the sound of the breeze blowing sand against the house and the occasional screech from a buzzard in search of its next meal. It was easy to gather that most of the inmates were probably indoors as to avoid the heat of the day. However, it would be getting dark soon and she expected the desert prison would come to life once the sun vanished and the sand no longer held its heat. She knew that she would be spending most of her night on guard, so she figured that she might as well try and steal a bit of sleep while she still could. Tightening her grip on her gunblade, she allowed her eyes to close and after about an hour of trying to suppress her racing thoughts, she finally drifted off.

The sound of rattling jerked Lightning back into consciousness and she bolted upright and looked around in confusion. She'd hoped that the previous day had just been some crazy dream that she had fabricated as a result of stress and physical exhaustion, and that she would actually wake up again next to the fire with Cloud's chest beneath her head. However, her expectations were met with the disappointment of her stark reality as her eyes darted around the small house and her injured ankle throbbed painfully from her sudden movement.

When she had fallen asleep, the rays of the sun had peeked through the sides of the fabric that she had hung from the windows, but now the small room was so dark that she could barely see. She concluded that it must now be very late, meaning that she'd slept much longer than she'd originally intended. She sat there for a few moments, straining her ears for anything out of the ordinary, but all she heard were the sounds of men talking and laughing in the distance, so she figured that she must have imagined the noise from before.

Leaning over, Lightning tried to inspect her ankle, but the lack of light made it extremely difficult to see anything. Judging from the pain through, the numbing effect of her heal materia had worn off in her sleep and the stress from before had aggravated it even further. She sighed and then flopped back down on the couch and draped her arm over her eyes. She would have given just about anything to see Aeris right about now. She knew that the perky flower girl would have no problem mending her injury and putting her back together again. Huffing in frustration, she sat back up and retrieved her heal materia from her pouch and pressed it to her left wrist to be absorbed. No sooner had she felt the warmth coursing through her body, she did as before and concentrated her energy into a single mass before releasing it onto her ankle.

Lightning had never used materia at night before, and as soon as the magic left her fingertips, she immediately regretted her decision to use it and then proceeded to scold herself for behaving so recklessly. The energy from the materia spread very quickly, illuminating the entire room in a bright green light that she was almost positive could be seen from the outside of the house. She held her breath as the light faded, paying no attention to whether the spell had actually worked or not, and then listened for any change in the sounds outside. She remained like that until the burning in her lungs reminded her that she had stopped breathing and then she quickly plunged her hand into her thigh pouch in search of ammo.

The rattling of the doorknob stopped her heart in her chest and Lightning sat there frozen as she stared through the darkness at the outline of the door. She prayed that whoever it was would go away, but when a second rattle occurred followed by an attempt to force the door open, she knew that her luck had finally run out and she would probably have to fight. She quickly forced herself into an upright position, plunged her hand into her pocket to retrieve her lightning materia and then absorbed it into her wrist. She stood there for a moment, with her weight pressed firmly onto her left foot with her weapon extended out in front of her and did her best to control her pounding heart and heavy, erratic breathing.

"Come on out, Sweetheart," a deep voice cut through the silence sending a shiver down Lightning's spine. "We know you're in there," he continued as he turned the handle once more and pushed against the door, which caused the wood beneath the handle to let out a small cracking sound under the pressure.

 _'We,'_ Lightning repeated in her mind as her heart began to race faster. Just how many were out there?

"C'mon," he tried again. "We saw you go in there and we know you're hurt. It'd be easier on everyone if you just played nice and opened the door."

"Go to hell," Lightning spat back defiantly as she tightened her grip on her gunblade in preparation to shoot anyone who came through that door. If they had seen her enter the house, then surely they have also seen that she was armed, and hopefully, they'd be smart enough to just walk away. She waited for a response, but she was met with silence. She began to wonder if they had given up, but the shattering of glass behind her quickly crushed her hopes.

Lightning turned around as fast as her injured ankle would allow, but no sooner had she turned, the door behind her was kicked open with such force that the wood wedged beneath the doorknob snapped in half, shooting large splinters across the room. She spun back around with her gunblade still extended and blindly fired. A load groan told her that she had hit her mark and it was quickly confirmed as one of the four men trying to enter the small room collapsed to his knees holding his abdomen, which was releasing blood at an alarming rate.

The shocked expressions that reflected on each of the three remaining men's faces as their friend hit the floor told Lightning that she had caught them off guard and that they hadn't expected her to be armed. Taking advantage of their confusion, Lightning quickly squeezed the trigger again, and this time her bullet found the shoulder of the tall sandy haired man in the center. As soon as the sound of her gunshot filled the air, other two men darted in opposite directions in order to get out of the line of fire.

Lightning remained still with her gun extended as her eyes moved from one side to the other, watching the two men carefully and ready to fire on the one that made the first move. Being flanked by the two men wasn't ideal by any means, but she felt pretty confident that she could take them if she played it cautiously. The man on her left carried a medium sized silver knife and the one on the right carried what appeared to be a wooden leg from a piece of furniture that he had driven long rusty nails through. Neither of which were a match for her gunblade.

The seconds felt like hours as the three of them stood there in silence. Neither of the two men seemed willing to make the first move and Lightning knew that they were more than likely waiting for her to act first. She was beginning to think that they'd stand there all night when suddenly the man on her right lunged forward. Lightning quickly turned to meet him and sent a bullet through his chest and then spun around to face the other man, who had used the distraction as his chance to move in. Lightning quickly extended her arm to shoot a bolt of lightning at the man, but before the electricity could escape her fingertips, something hard collided with the back of her head and the floor rushed up to meet her.

Lightning laid there dazed while the room danced in circles around her. She tried to make sense of what had just happened, but the ringing in her ears clouded her thoughts even further. She felt as though she were going to be sick, so she squeezed her eyes shut in hopes that it would stop the spinning, but that only seemed to make the sensation worse. Suddenly, she felt something painful on her right wrist and then her gunblade was kicked out of her hand. Lightning opened her eyes again to see a familiar face swim into focus. She attempted to sit up, but the man pushed her back back to the ground with the tip of his boot before lowering himself to straddle her.

"You miss me, Sweetheart?" the Shinra soldier asked as he placed the point of his knife to her cheek and then began to gently trace it down the side of her face and over her neck. Lightning weakly raised her left hand to his chest and willed the materia to work, but her attempt was met with more laughter. "I'm afraid your luck has run out," he continued as he batted her hand aside and then lowered his face so close to hers that she could smell the tobacco of his last cigarette on his breath.

 _'_ _Concentrate and try harder,'_ a deep voice commanded.

"What?" Lightning rasped in confusion.

"You and I are gonna have a bit of fun," the grunt continued as if she had been speaking to him, "and once I'm done with you, you're gonna have a bit of fun with them as well.. I really hope your boyfriend doesn't mind sharing."

 _'_ _Try again,'_ the voice replied. _'This is not where your story ends.'_

Lightning's eyes darted around frantically for the person who had spoken to her, but she couldn't see anything past the man in front of her who's hand had wandered beneath her overcoat to find the top of her skirt. She forced her hands back to his chest and tried to push him away, but that only seemed to amuse him more. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest and she thought that it would surely explode at any minute. She closed her eyes tightly and the voice echoed through her mind once more. _'Try again.'_

She didn't really know what to do nor if anything could be done, but she did as the voice commanded and willed all of her energy into making the materia work for her. She could feel the power beginning to course through her body once more and she prayed that it would be enough to save her. She pressed her hands deeper into the man's chest and then opened her eyes. The man shook his head in amusement and then attempted to grab her arms, but as soon as he touched them, Lightning allowed the energy to explode and crimson lightning bolts filled the small house. Lightning watched the light fade from the soldier's eyes before he fell over sideways and landed with a loud thud on the wooden floor. The sound echoed three or four times and she turned her head to see more dead bodies now littering the floor.

She knew that it was only a matter of time before others showed up to see what had happened and she was far too exhausted to put up a second fight. She needed to get out of this town as fast as humanly possible and she knew that her only chance of survival would be in the open desert. Not wanting to waste any time, she slowly rose to her feet and did her best to ignore the pain radiating from her ankle and throughout her body. Her head ached painfully from the blow and the more she moved, the heavier it seemed to become. Despite the fact that the room was still spinning ever so slightly, she managed to quickly locate her gunblade that had been kicked aside and then her make shift crutch before heading towards the door.

The cold desert air was quite a contrast to the heat of the small house and as soon as it touched Lightning's sweat soaked skin, she let out an involuntary shiver. The artificial light from the town was blinding and she instinctively held up her hand in an attempt to shield her sensitive eyes. The change in temperature and light seemed to aggravate her already spinning head and Lightning began to feel a bit nauseous. She lowered her hand and tried to blindly push herself forward, but quickly stopped when several figures swam into focus in front of her. Even through the spinning and blinding light, there was no mistaking the hungry look in their eyes as they slowly walked towards her. Her nausea finally got the better of her and Lightning felt her knees give way and hit the ground before the entire contents of her stomach spilled over onto the brown sand. She looked up once more as the men closed in and her world began to go dark and fade from focus. The last thing she recalled before her head hit the sand was hearing her own heart pounding in her ears and what sounded like gunshots.

 **A/N: First of all, let me give a massive shout out to my super awesome Beta Reader, Wolf. Today is his birthday! So, from all of us in your FanFiction family, Happy Birthday!**

 **Okay, so not gonna lie here, but I'm having some pretty serious abandonment issues after the last chapter and I didn't feel like the level of interest was anywhere near where it usually is. I really hope this isn't the case, because I really enjoy writing this thing and would love to see it through to completion. However.. I don't write this story for me, I write it for you, so I have to feel like there's interest in what I'm producing. I know that my updates have been a bit sporadic as of late due to my career change and that's why interest may be down, so I am trying something new with this chapter. Part of the reason that my chapters take so long to finish is mostly due to the fact that they are just that... long. Some being over 10k words, which is easily over 3x the length of the average chapter on here. When I first started writing, I worked part-time and had lots of time to dedicate into cranking out chapters, but now I work full-time, and find myself with much less time to write after my job and children are done pulling me in opposite directions. Anywho, this chapter is purposely much shorter than the others and I am considering taking this approach in the future in order to get them out a bit faster. What do you all think of this approach? Would you prefer to see shorter and more frequent updates or longer and less frequent? The quality of the story and its plot will not suffer in the least bit if I take the shorter approach; the only difference will be that I would basically be giving what I would consider half of the chapter at a time in order to get something to you all faster. What do you all think of this? Leave me a comment below and let me know.**

 *******Also, please take note that this chapter officially changes the rating of this story from T to M. I am mostly noting this to help the guest readers locate the story once the rating has changed. FanFiction's default setting automatically filters out M ratings to keep underage eyes from reading anything inappropriate, and to see them, you have to manually change the setting to include them each time you search. I will be keeping the rating as T for a few more days, but will eventually have to change it or else I may end up getting a nastygram from FanFiction. Anyway, the content of this story will be getting darker as it progresses, so it was only a matter of time before it had to change. I encourage any guest readers to go ahead and create an account and then subscribe to the story so that you don't miss an update!*******

 **Until next time,**

 **-Lady A**


	28. Chapter 27: Heaven and Hell, Part 2

**Chapter 27 – Heaven and Hell, Part 2**

 **A/N: Important information in the notes below, so please read :)**

"I told you, she didn't kill those people!" Cloud roared angrily as he slammed his hands down onto the wooden surface of Dio's desk.

The baby oiled man leaned back in his chair and ran his hands through his dark brown mullet and then shook his head dismissively. "And I told you, there's nothing I can do for you, boy! She was found guilty of a crime and was punished accordingly."

Cloud growled in frustration, pressed his hands harder into the wood and then leaned forward slightly so that Dio could see the anger burning in his mako eyes. "She didn't do it," he repeated in a low, dangerous voice.

"You'd best watch your tone with me, boy, or I'll have the guards escort you from the premises," Dio challenged, which caused the two Shinra soldiers that were standing guard on either side of the door behind him to step forward. Dio held up a hand to stop them, and then narrowed his eyes menacingly, "so what'll it be, _boy_?"

Cloud sighed in defeat and then backed away. He hated letting Dio take the win here, but he knew that angering him wouldn't solve anything and would only put Lightning further away from him. She hadn't deserved her sentence and he didn't even want to think about what she was possibly going through right now all because she had been standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cait Sith had filled him in on what he knew about the area below and from the way he made it sound, it was a really dangerous place, especially for a woman. Lightning was strong and was more than capable of taking care of herself, but she was now in a prison full of hungry men who probably hadn't seen a woman in years. Cloud feared for her safety and he knew that he needed to get her out of there as fast as humanly possible, but that was never going to happen without Dio's cooperation.

"Can't you check the surveillance?" he tried again, hoping that a different approach might convince the man of Lightning's innocence. "Surely a place like this has cameras?"

"My boys are already looking into it," Dio replied, "but I already told you... once someone goes down the hole, there's only one way they come back up."

"A chocobo race," Cloud recalled with a sigh. "Yeah, I remember. But how exactly is she supposed to know about this?"

"Just about every inmate down there knows about the races," Dio answered. "She could find out from just about anyone."

"She's a woman in a prison full of men!" Cloud shot back angrily. "You want her to waltz right up to a bunch of rapists and murderers to discuss bird races!?" Cloud could feel his blood beginning to boil again, so he turned around, closed his eyes and then inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm himself. If he had just killed this baby oiled idiot like he'd originally planned, then none of this would have happened. He understood Lightning's reasoning for wanting to go quietly, but he would have never allowed her to end up with that greasy haired scientist again. He would have died before allowing that happen, but perhaps Lightning knew that and that's why she didn't want to put up a fight. "Then send me down," Cloud begged as he turned around to face Dio again. "You said that she can't come back, so let me go to her."

"I told you before, boy. Only criminals are sent to heaven and you have commit no crime... " Dio replied impatiently as he looked up at the clock. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some very important business to attend to," he added and then nodded toward the men standing guard.

"You heard'em," one of the Shinra soldiers said he stepped forward to lead Cloud from the room. Cloud growled in anger and then turned around and stormed through the door, slamming it behind him. He stomped down the hall away from Dio's office and as soon as he rounded the corner to the station, he spotted his party, who had been waiting for him.

"Is there anything that can be done?" Aeris asked immediately as she rushed forward to meet him.

"He refuses to even listen," Cloud replied as he looked around and noted that Red and Cait Sith were now missing from the group. "And even if we do prove her innocence, he won't let her come back up unless she wins a Chocobo race."

"Oh, that's awful," Aeris responded softly as she dropped her gaze to the floor. "Poor Light..."

"Couldn't we just go down?" Tifa asked hopefully.

"No," Cloud answered. "I asked and he will only send criminals down."

"So, let's commit a crime," Aeris suggested, which caused the others to look at her with mixed expressions.

"That's not a bad idea," Cloud answered as his mind immediately came alive with possibilities.

"You're joking, right?" Yuffie laughed and then stopped dead when she saw that the wheels were now turning in Cloud's mind. "Come on, you can't be serious," she whined. "You really want us to go down there? That place is full of sickos."

"Exactly, and that's why we have to go," Aeris defended. "Light's one of our own and we can't leave her there. If they won't let her back up then we have to go get her."

"This is a really bad idea!" Yuffie argued.

"You don't have to go," Cloud replied. "In fact, none of you do. She's right... it's a bad place. I'll go on my own."

"No, you won't," Aeris chimed in. "I'm going too."

"And me," Tifa added.

"Absolutely not," Cloud argued with a shake of his head.

"She's important to us too, Cloud," Aeris said softly. "Let us help."

"Look," Cloud began, "I don't know what I'll be going into. If it's as bad as Caith Sith made it out to be, I'll have my hands full trying to keep her safe and-"

"I know what you're going to say," Aeris interrupted, "and Tifa and I can protect ourselves. We can fight too."

"Do you know the type of men that are down there?" Cloud countered. "They're sick and twisted."

"I'm sure they're no different than Don Corneo's goons," Aeris replied as she rolled her eyes.

"She's right," Tifa inserted as she furrowed her eyebrows in vexation. "This is no different than when we went into Don Corneo's, and do you remember what happened that night? All of this time could have been used to find a way to get to Light and instead, we've been stood here arguing. Now, Cloud, we understand how you feel, but we are helping whether you like it or not. Are you going to let us or are we going to just stay here and bicker while something else terrible happens to her?"

Cloud dropped his eyes to the floor and exhaled heavily. He knew that Tifa had a point, but that didn't make the decision endanger the girls any easier. He hated the idea of allowing them to go, just as he hated the fact that Lightning was already there. He didn't know what exactly he'd be going into and his worst fear was that he'd fail to protect them and someone would end up getting hurt. He wanted them to stay here, where they'd be safe. However, he knew that Tifa was true to her word and they would follow him down there no matter what he said.

"Fine," he conceded, "but I still don't like this."

"You don't have to," Tifa replied. "It's our choice to make."

"Okay," he surrendered. "Where are the others?"

The question had barely passed through his lips when suddenly Red and Cait Sith emerged from the tunnel labeled 'Speed Square'.

"Did you find him?" Tifa asked immediately.

"No," Red replied as he shook his furry head. "There's been no sign of him."

"Barret?" Cloud questioned as he looked at the beast in confusion.

"Yeah," Aeris answered. "No one's seen him since he disappeared earlier. You don't think he could have really...?" Her voice trailed off and she let out an involuntary shiver at the thought that had just passed through her mind. It was hard for any of them to imagine that one of their own could have gone off the hinges and started murdering innocent people.

"I don't know," Cloud replied honestly. "I guess there's only one way to find out... but first, we need to get Lightning out of that prison."

"Any ideas for that?" Red asked. "I assume Dio was of no help?"

"No," Cloud replied. "We're going to her, but he won't let us go down there, so we'll have to commit a crime."

"Just make sure we don't do anything that would hurt anyone," Aeris said. "I think there's been enough loss already."

"I was thinking of something along the lines of breaking a few of the games in the arcade," Cloud replied.

"I don't think that'll be good enough," Cait Sith interjected with a shake of his head. "The people down there are real criminals... thieves, murderers, and worse. I don't think Dio would send someone down there for vandalizing a few of his toys. He'd more than likely make you pay for the damages or make your work off the debt around the park."

"Then what do you propose?" Cloud asked.

"I have an idea," Cait Sith continued. "And no one gets hurt," he added with a nod to Aeris. "Dio has a gallery; a showcase of high value things that he's collected over the years. It's in the Battle Arena and anyone can go in. Security is usually pretty lax because most people know the penalty for committing a crime around here. The stuff's just sitting around on display, so we could probably just walk right in and snatch something."

"Do you really think he'd get mad enough to send us to prison?" Cloud asked hopefully.

"If there's one thing in this world that Dio loves more than himself, it's that gallery," Cait Sith answered. "He'll take the bait, I'm counting on it… just make sure you snatch something good."

"But isn't the Battle Arena closed?" Tifa asked.

"Not anymore," Cait Sith answered. "As of a half hour ago, it was reopened to the public. That arena brings in a lot of revenue for this place, so I knew that it wouldn't stay closed for very long. The good news is that the gallery itself shouldn't be highly guarded, but there will definitely be more guards patrolling the area outside. That'll make getting caught easy peasy!"

"I really hope you're right about all of this," Cloud sighed, "because if you're not, we may never get to Lightning."

The walk to Dio's gallery was short and before Cloud knew it, he was standing in the middle of the room staring at Dio's prized collection, which ranged from small trinkets sitting around on shelves to weapons and armor that decorated the walls. Cait Sith was right. Security wasn't tight at all in this area of the Battle Square, which Cloud found to be just a bit odd considering that this room was filled to the brim with items that were supposedly his most prized possessions. A lone guard stood on duty near the door, lazily watching a group of teenagers that were pacing the room and awing the various weapons on the wall. He looked bored out of his mind and Cloud nearly laughed out loud when he thought about how quickly that was about to change.

He knew that stealing from this place would be all too easy, and getting caught might actually prove to be the more difficult part. He needed to make sure that whatever he stole would be noticed right away. It had to be something that appeared to be really valuable, but small enough to carry at the same time. His eyes darted around the room in search of the perfect item and then his eyes fell on a glass case that housed a seemingly ordinary grey rock inside. At first glance, the stone didn't look like it'd be worth anything, but Cloud knew that there had to be something that made it valuable to Dio, or else it wouldn't be the only item in the room protected under glass.

"What is it?" Tifa asked as she and the others joined him around the display.

"Not sure," Cloud replied, "but if there's anything in this room will get us into trouble, it'll probably be this."

"Okay, don't forget," Cait Sith whispered. "Everyone run… Don't get caught too easily, but don't run fast enough to lose the guards either. We just need to put on a good show for Dio. We ready to do this?"

"Yep," Cloud nodded and then pulled the sword from his back and slammed the hilt down onto the glass, shattering it into a million pieces. He quickly snatched the stone and then the six of them immediately bolted through the crowd of confused onlookers towards the door.

"HEY!" the guard shouted as he pressed a red button the wall, which caused a loud siren to sound overhead. "STOP! THIEVES!" he shouted again as he removed a baton from his belt and then charged at them. Cloud remembered what Cait Sith had said about the importance of putting on a good show for Dio, so he punched the guard on his way out for good measure.

The six of them ran through the lobby and started down the stairs towards the station to find that the siren had done its job. About five or so guards now stood on the platform with their guns drawn and trained in their direction as to prevent them from exiting through the tunnels. Cloud knew that he could dispatch these guards easily enough, but he didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt, so instead of charging, he came to a halt and held his sword out in front of him to give the impression that he was ready for a fight.

"Easy boy," Cloud heard from behind and turned his head to see Dio standing at the top of the steps. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you? I knew your lot would end up causing me trouble," he continued. "You know, we checked the surveillance and it turns out your friend was innocent after all. I kind of felt bad about the whole mix up and had a change of heart. I was gonna send my boys to fetch her in the morning, but seeing as you've gone and made a mess of things, you can all just rot down there together. I do admire your commitment to her though, so I'll make you a deal: give back what was stolen and put away your sword. You do that and I'll let you keep it. If not, you'll all go down there weaponless and I hear the prison's a rough place at night."

"Put it away, Cloud," Cait Sith whispered. "You got what you wanted, so do as he says."

Cloud nodded, returned the sword to his back and then tossed the stone to the nearest guard. Dio nodded in return and then signaled the guards on the platform, who began to proceed up the stairs to guide them back into the Battle Arena. They stopped in the same room that he and Lightning had been caught in and then a guard stepped forward to unlock the door on the opposite side, which led to a seemingly empty room.

"Well, I can't say that it's been a pleasure," Dio remarked as the soldiers returned from the room, leading a line of six robots. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about them," he added as he took in their nervous expressions. "Trust me, you don't want to make that jump without them… you might end up breaking something," he chuckled. "Well then, who's first?"

* * *

Lightning found herself dreaming again, the same dream that had been haunting her for weeks. She had battled this nameless purple haired villain so many times now and each time had resulted in her loss. Even though she knew that this dream would be no different than the last, she continued to fight. It wasn't like she had a choice in the matter though. Although, she knew that she was dreaming, she had no control over any of her actions or the final outcome. Her body still moved robotically and refused to obey even the smallest command, and this left her powerless to stop the final blow that always sent her painfully back to reality.

"Pointless…" he smirked in his deep voice as the eye on his sword began to open, sending shivers down her spine once more. Normally, at this point, his words would become muffled as he continued to talk and Lightning could never quite make out what he'd said, but this time it was different and his words were now completely audible. "The time measured by Etro will cease to exist," he continued as he pointed the tip at her and then retracted the blade so that it was inches from his own face. "All potential and possibilities will collapse. Time will end, and the future will fade."

"You'll have to kill me first," she retorted as she charged forward with her unfamiliar sword extended out to the side. As she neared, she leapt high and her blade met his midair, causing them to rebound and then land far apart.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Lightning turned and stormed towards the man, who had wasted no time in planning his own assault. As the two of them met mid-field, Lightning barely managed to avoid a well-timed jab at her head as she quickly leaned aside. She aimed her counter strike at his core, but instead of flesh, her sword only found the cold hard steel of his blade. He swiped at her head once more, which forced her to drop to one knee and aim for his legs. Her blade whistled through the air as the man leapt high once again and Lightning quickly scrambled to her feet in anticipation of his next move. He landed on the ground and then immediately sent a bolt of lightning in her direction, which she easily deflected with her shield, causing an explosion to erupt around him. Against any other opponent, Lightning would have been celebrating her victory after a strike like that, but this man was no ordinary opponent and that was immediately proven as he charged from the explosion, unscathed.

"Caius Ballad!" she shouted as she charged forward. _Caius Ballad,_ so that was this man's name. Throughout her many dreams, her voice had always been inaudible and she could never quite understand what exactly she had shouted at the man.

Lightning had barely time to process the name that she had just shouted before finding her sword locked with his again as the two of them pushed against each other, struggling for the upper hand. She felt herself shove away from the purple-haired man and then quickly lunged forward again with the hopes of driving her sword through the top of his skull, but as soon as her weapon made contact with the man, he suddenly vanished into a cloud of purple smoke and Lightning felt herself stumble forward. She had seen what happened next so many times before, but it never made it any easier to watch. As her body staggered through the smoke, she willed herself to close her eyes, to wake up, to do anything at all to prevent her from seeing the next event, but her body was unresponsive to her plea. It was like she wasn't even there and this Lightning was a completely different person. When she finally regained her balance, she found herself staring at her sister, who was stood only a few inches away from the tip of her still extended blade.

"What the…" Lightning heard herself ask in confusion as the strange symbol reappeared on her sister's eyes. "SERAH!" Lightning's vision was temporarily clouded by white light and when she regained her sense of sight, she found herself staring at her sister and the same brown-haired, nameless man as before. They appeared to be happily conversing until Serah's face went blank and her eyes were taken over by the same symbol as before.

"Serah?" the man shouted as he gripped her shoulders tightly. "Serah, snap out of it! NO!" the man shouted as he shook her violently. She had seen this part of the dream a few times before, but it was at this moment that Lightning realized that this man knew exactly what was happening to her sister. Serah began to fall backwards and the man quickly grabbed her hands to pull her into an embrace. Serah's eyes closed for the last time and her knees gave way as the two of them sank to the ground. "SERAHHHH!" the man cried with eyes full of tears.

"It can't be…" Lightning whispered in disbelief as she closed her eyes tightly and then reopened them to see the transparent image of her sister now kneeling before her on the ground. "Serah…" she muttered mindlessly as she stumbled toward her sister.

"Hmph," Caius' deep voice sounded from behind, causing her to spin around in surprise to discover that the man was now standing right in front of her with his sword raised above his head. Lightning didn't even have time to lift her own weapon to defend herself before his massive sword collided with her head.

The pain radiated from her head throughout her entire body, but by some miracle, the blow hadn't killed her. She felt her body fly through the air and then land in a heap on the cold stone ground. Her head pounded and she felt so dizzy that she thought she was going to be sick. The pain clouded her thoughts and made most of her body feel paralyzed and completely unresponsive. She whimpered as she pushed her hands into the ground and attempted to push herself back up, but her exhaustion got the better of her and she collapsed again.

"Too easy," she heard Caius say as she began to swim in and out of consciousness.

Lightning knew that she was done for, so she kept her eyes closed and prayed that he would make it quick. The cool stone beneath her felt good on her bare skin and so Lightning focused all of her thoughts on that rather than her impending execution. She laid there for a few moments and then suddenly her entire body felt very cold, as if she had been hit by some sort of ice spell. She weakly inched her eyelids apart to see that she was now surrounded by the same purple smoke that had consumed Caius before. It began to pull her down, down beneath the surface on which she lay. Lightning felt herself begin to panic, but her body was unresponsive and unwilling to fight back. The smoke began to invade her lungs and she felt as though they were going to explode. She tried her hardest to cough in order to expel the toxic substance, but her body refused. She squeezed her eyes closed and let out a soft cry in pain, before something firmly gripped her shoulders and began shaking her.

She weakly opened her eyes to find that her vision was still clouded by darkness, but as she blinked a few times a figure began to swim into focus above her. She stared through the darkness in confusion for a few moments, unable to make sense of her new surroundings. The pain from Caius' blow was beginning to recede and she prayed that her body would now be cooperative. Digging her elbows into the soft surface beneath her, she began to push herself upright, but the person placed a strong hand on her shoulder again and gently pushed her back down. Lightning opened her mouth to object, but a deep voice broke through the silence first and she felt her heart stop in her chest.

"Easy."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so I feel really bad about how long it took me to get this chapter out. It's been finished for two weeks now but I was waiting to publish because I thought I wanted to add a bit more to it. Anywho, I opened it up on Friday to work on it and decided that I was satisfied with it after all lol. So I really do apologize for making y'all wait. I have mixed feelings on the shorter v. longer chapters. On one hand, the shorter chapters make it a hell of a lot easier to write and edit. I basically wrote this whole thing in one sit down, which was really nice because it usually takes me days/weeks to write a chapter and I often have to read it over several times to remember where I was going with it. On the other hand, I do like my longer chapters. It's a lot of work, but I feel a bigger sense of accomplishment when I finish one of the monstrous chapters. However, The Sorrowful Deity, you are absolutely right. It does burn you out rather quickly lol. I haven't decided yet if I'm gonna stick with the shorter ones or revert back to the longer.. maybe I'll switch back and forth until I figure it out lol.**

 **As always, a massive thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter ( NOON666x… you're so funny! Definitely made me laugh out loud XD). I was feeling like interest was dropping off and you all definitely showed me otherwise and gave me the motivation I was looking for. Not gonna lie, writing these chapters can be a bit taxing and I just like to know that people are still interested in what I'm working so hard to put out. So, thanks again for answering the bat call and cheering me up lol. Also, thank you to Wolf, who just happens to be the best beta reader in the whole world. (Psst… I have it on good authority that he has chapters of both Stormy Reunion and Great Mako War that are near completion… so I think that once you're done here, you should all send him PM's and ask him to finish them. Tell him that Lady A needs something new to read XD. Haha, I'm totally kidding… or am I? lol) **

*****As a reminder: The rating of the story is changing to M as of today. If you haven't already, follow and favorite so you don't miss an update! Thanks again, and don't forget to drop me a review and let me know how I did here!*****

 **Love you all,**

 **Lady A**


	29. Chapter 28: Heaven and Hell, Part 3

**28 – Heaven and Hell, Part 3**

"Easy."

The deep voice made Lightning's heart stop in her chest and she strained her eyes through the darkness in hopes that her ears had been mistaken. The figure hovered slightly above her, but the only thing she was able to make out were the whites of his eyes. Even though she didn't have a clear view of his face, she was positive that the voice that she had heard was one that she knew very well. She quickly wiggled her way out from under his grasp and attempted to push herself up again, but her effort was met with resistance once more as he pushed her back down with a bit more force this time.

"Easy, I said," he repeated with a bit of irritation in his tone.

"Get off me," she commanded as she struggled against his strong hands that were now pinning her to the soft surface beneath her.

"Stop bein' a pain in the ass," he argued as he tightened his grip on her shoulders.

"Barret.." she growled. "Let me go!"

"Not 'til you calm your stubborn ass down," he replied. "What's your deal anyway?"

"You killed those people!" she spat angrily. "In the Battle Square! I'm here because of YOU!"

"The hell you talkin' about?" he replied confoundedly.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" she shot back. "The Shinra guards in the Battle Square! Killed by a man with a gun on his arm! You!"

"I didn't kill anyone," he defended, "but since when do you care about the Shinra? After all they've done to you, I'd have thought you'd wanna see them get what's comin' to 'em."

"There were innocent people there too!" she growled. "Those people didn't do anything to anyone. They had lives and families, or did you not stop to consider that?"

"I told you I didn't kill anyone," he repeated.

"You were identified," she challenged. "One of the victims… she gave us a description… 'A man with a gun on his arm'," she recited. "I haven't seen many others walking around that match that description, so are you telling me that a dying woman was mistaken about the man who put a bullet in her?"

"…No," he responded.

"So, you admit it?" she accused. "You killed them?"

"No," he defended. "It wasn't me, but I think she was right about what she saw."

"So, you were there?" she pressed. He was really confusing her and her head was beginning to throb painfully again as her mind attempted to work through what he was trying to tell her. How could the woman have seen correctly, but not have seen him? She may have not have been on this planet for very long, but she had been here long enough to know that Barret's gun arm was truly unique in that she hadn't seen a single soul aside from him with one.

"I wasn't there," he replied as he let go of her shoulders and his tone became noticeably calmer and devoid of anger. "There's another."

"Another?" she questioned skeptically, as she heard a match strike and then the soft light from a small broken candle filled the tiny room. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"There's another… just like me," he explained as he held up his gun arm.

"What?"

"There's another that had the same operation as me," he clarified.

"Who?" she pressed, still not completely convinced.

"Do you remember the story I told you all back in North Corel?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Well, there's more to it," he informed her. "On the day that Shinra burnt Corel to the ground, me and Dyne were visitin' the reactor... An' on our way back, we were stopped on the tracks by a man from town. He told us that the town was bein' attacked by Shinra soldiers…..…"

"And?" she pressed as his voice trailed off. She was curious as to where he was going with all this.

"An' they had," he continued. "They completely destroyed the place… lit it on fire and killed a bunch of people. My whole life was in that town… my wife… my friends… my future… all gone jus' like that. I broke down right there… I couldn't imagine going on in a world without Myrna. I thought about jumpin' from that cliff and endin' it right then and there… but Dyne pulled me back from the edge. He gave me hope that maybe she had somehow survived…" He paused for a moment and then took a deep breath. "We were on our way to town and then were ambushed by Scarlet and some of her lackeys."

"Scarlet?" Lightning interrupted as she racked her brain in search of the unfamiliar name.

"Head of Weapon's Development," he informed her. "She's a real bitch… but me and Dyne were unarmed and they had us trapped. They were all firin' on us and we were tryin' to get away, but Dyne slipped and fell from the side of the mountain. I caught his arm and was tryin' to pull him back up, but we were shot and I lost him. I knew there was no way he could've survived that fall, so I ran." He sat in silence for a few moments before continuing again. "I couldn't use my right arm no more after that… I was depressed for a while, but then I threw away my artificial arm and got this gun grafted in," he went on. "Got a new right arm to get revenge on the Shinra, who took everything away… but the doctor said there was another man who got the same operation as me, but his was the left arm."

"So what you're saying is that you think Dyne killed those people?" Lightning questioned.

"When we first got to the Gold Saucer, I overheard some kids talkin' about seein' someone else with a gun arm," he responded. "I had to know if it was Dyne, so I started lookin' around for him."

"And did you find him?" Lightning inquired.

"No," he answered with a sigh. "I asked 'round everywhere. Some people had seen him but no one knew who he was. I kept followin' the rumors and this is where I ended up."

"You think he's here?"

"That's what other people seem'ta think," he answered. "Sorry for runnin' off on you all, but this is somethin' I've gotta do... I gotta find him. He needs to know that his daughter's alive… he needs to know Marlene's safe."

"Marlene?" Lightning gasped. "She's Dyne's daughter? But I thought…"

"Yeah," he cut her off. "I found her when I made it back to town. The Shinra murdered so many people that day, including my Myrna and Dyne's wife, but Marlene was spared. She was just a baby then. I took her away from all that... we went to Midgar and I raised her as my own."

"Do the others know?" she asked.

"No," he answered honestly. "You're the first."

The two of them remained silent for a few moments while Lightning processed everything she had just heard. It was a lot to take in, but Barret's story made sense, so she decided to believe him. She could tell from the look in his eyes that it was something that bothered him deeply, and so she knew that it had to be the truth. People were capable of coming up with some pretty convincing lies when it suited their needs, but pain like his was not something that could be invented.

"So," he began again, "what did you mean earlier?"

"Hmm?" she looked up in confusion.

"When you said that you were here because of me," he clarified.

"They blamed me for the murders in the Battle Square," she explained. "Cloud and I went there looking for you and we found a room full of corpses. Dio's and some Shinra grunts showed up right after us and blamed me because I was the only one in the room with a gun."

"Where the hell is Cloud anyway?" he asked.

"I assume still at the Gold Saucer," she replied. "I came here on my own."

"I'm gonna kick his Spikey ass!" he replied as his tone filled with anger. "Allowin' you come to a place like this on your own."

"It was my choice," she quickly inserted. "We could have easily taken out that baby-oiled idiot and his guards, but it would have only complicated the situation. Those people didn't have a clue who we were, but if we had started a fight, the Turks may have gotten involved…" her voice trailed off as she lowered her gaze. "…and I can't go back there," she finally added with a whisper. "I don't have it in me to go through that again."

"We'd never let that happen," he replied firmly. "You're one of us and a member of the AVALANCHE family."

Lightning looked up to meet his gaze and then smiled slightly. They remained silent for a few moments and then she dropped her gaze again as she exhaled heavily. "So… what happened... you know, before?"

"You don't remember anything?" he asked.

"Not really," she replied. "Just…" she began as her mind ventured back to the fight in the cabin and the hungry look in the soldier's eyes.

"What?" he pressed.

"Nothing," she answered quickly as she shook the memory away.

He looked at her skeptically for a moment and then decided not to press any further. "I've been down here for most of the day," he began. "Right after I heard that Dyne might be here, I snuck into the Battle Square and came down to look for him. I'd asked around all day, but none of these fools around here was able to tell me anything, so I decided to wait 'til night to ask around a bit more. I heard a group of guys talkin' about seein' a girl with pink hair and I knew that had'ta be you. I looked around for a while and then heard the commotion comin' from the other side of town. When I got there, I saw a bright red light comin' from the door and windows of one of the houses, and then a few minutes later, you stumbled out with your sword in your hand," he continued.

"The gunshots," Lightning interjected as her memory began to return to her. "That was you?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I saw the way those creeps were lookin' at you and I knew what was goin' through their minds. Don't worry though, I didn't kill anyone… I just scared'em a bit."

"Wouldn't bother me if you had," Lightning replied bitterly as she shook away yet another unpleasant memory from earlier in the night. "So, what happened next?"

"Like I said, you were in pretty rough shape," he went on. "I saw you collapse, and at first, I thought that I'd accidentally shot you. But when I finally got to you, I saw that your head was bleedin' pretty bad and that your ankle was busted. I saw the bodies inside the house so it was easy to piece together what had happened before I got there. I knew we couldn't stay there, so I brought you here," he continued. "I'm not so good with curin' things, but I did a decent enough job with this," he added as he pulled out a green cure materia. "I figured it'd be good enough 'til we can get you back to Aeris. But don't be getting' any ideas about getting' up anytime soon," he added with an arch of his eyebrow.

"Thank you," she replied softly.

"Don't mention it," he shrugged. "So... what was that red light I saw?"

"I... don't know," she answered honestly. "I've only done it once before… back in Junon. I didn't think much of it then. I thought it was just some sort of limit break. But then in the cabin…" she continued and then quickly paused as she realized just how silly the next part was going to sound.

"Go on," he urged.

"Someone spoke to me," she said in a low voice.

"Someone talked to you?" he repeated. "You mean, like someone in the room?"

"No," she clarified with a shake of her head. "It was in my head. A man's voice…" her voice trailed off and she immediately regretted saying anything at all. She knew how ridiculous she must have sounded to him. He'd probably thought she'd either gone mad or perhaps had been hit just a little too hard on the back of the head. Hell, maybe she had...

"Was it Caius?"

"What" she gasped as she looked at him in horror. "How did you-"

"You talked in your sleep," he explained. "You mumbled that name and then a few minutes later, you started actin' funny... like you were chokin' or somethin'."

"It was just a dream..." she whispered. "….at least I think it was."

"Wanna talk about it?" he pressed.

"It's nothing," she shook her head. "It's probably just stress, or something like that… you know… messing with my head."

"Wouldn't hurt nothin' to get it off your chest," he replied. "Seemed like a pretty bad dream."

"It always is," she mumbled.

"You've had it more than once?" he asked.

"Yes," she explained. "It started right after I got here... at first, the dream was fragmented and didn't make a lot of sense. It got a lot worse after what Hojo did to me... and each time since, it becomes a little clearer. It feels like I'm reliving a memory... But it's not one of mine."

"What happens?" he pressed.

"It always starts the same way..." she began. "I'm fighting with this man."

"Caius?" he assumed.

"Yes," she nodded. "I didn't know that until tonight though."

"You've never met this man?"

"Not once," she shook her head. "We're fighting... and I know it's me fighting because I move like me, I sound like me, and I think like me... this man though... there's something about him that truly terrifies me... like he wants to do something horrible and I'm the only one standing in his way."

"Do you win?" he asked.

"No," she whispered, deciding to omit the part about her sister. "It always ends the same way... he wins, and I think… I think I die."

"Have you told Cloud any of this?" he asked as he stared at her with eyes full of concern.

"No," she answered truthfully. "I didn't want to worry him over nothing. I know it's just a dream... probably just a side effect of the Mako."

"You're probably right," he agreed. "But I still think you should tell Cloud 'cause that stuff can really mess with your mind. You seem to be doin' better, but the side effects of that stuff can linger around for a long time. He knows how it works better than any of us, so he knows what's normal and what ain't."

"I will," she agreed. "It's really not a big deal, but I'll tell him."

"Good," he nodded before dropping his gaze to his hand. "So... uh... nothin' bad happened tonight, right?"

"Hmm?"

"Before I got there," he clarified. "Did anything bad happen... you know, with those guys from the cabin?"

"No," she replied quickly.

"Then how did you get that?" he asked as he gestured to her head. "And your ankle?"

"I broke my ankle during the fall," she answered.

"How?" He asked in confusion. "Aren't those robot things supposed to protect you on the way down?"

"What robot things?" she inquired.

"They didn't send you down in one?" He asked and Lightning could detect the anger beginning to build in him again.

"No," she shook her head. "The Shinra guard that sent me down, he..." She felt her words get stuck in her throat as she reflected back to that moment when he shoved her onto the hard ground and then the hungry look in his eyes later in the cabin. He knew exactly what would happen to her when he failed to follow the proper procedure. He had wanted her to get hurt... He wanted easy prey.

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" he asked and Lightning could tell that he was reading her face like an open book.

"No," she replied. "Well, aside from breaking my ankle and giving me a nasty headache."

"I'm gonna kill'em!" he growled as he began to stand up.

"You'll be wasting your time," she replied as she pushed herself upright and then grabbed his arm. "He's already dead."

"Whadya mean?" He asked. "Did you-?"

"Yeah," she replied. "That was the red light you saw... red lightning."

"Red lightning?" he asked. "From the materia?"

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "But I really feel like it came from me... somehow. It's only happened twice. The first time back in Junon when Cloud and I were fighting that sea serpent and then again, earlier when I was fighting off those men."

"So, it only happens when you're in danger?" Barret speculated.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Have you ever seen materia do that?"

"Never," he shook his head. "I've been around materia my whole life. Not the best with it, but I've seen enough to know how it works and what it looks like... and I ain't ever seen materia do that. I ain't seen nothing like that since-"

"Since what?" she asked.

"Since a few days before I met you," he answered. "I'd left Midgar early one mornin'... needed a break from the city and the noise... the mission was comin' up and I wanted some time away from it to think. Walked almost to Kalm and then started back... and then I saw somethin'."

"What?"

"A lightnin' storm," he replied. "Out over the sea. It was the weirdest thing I ever saw... red lightnin', just like what you did earlier. I remember seein' it and thinkin' that it was probably just caused by somethin' the Shinra was doin'... then Jessie shows up with you a few days later... a pink haired soldier girl that looked like she was straight outta the future."

"I washed up on the beach outside of Midgar," she explained. "I remember waking up sometime during the day... and I don't know how long I'd been there. I had no clue where I was or where to go, so I started walking... By the time night had come, I had made it to Sector 6, and that's when I met Jessie."

"Maybe it is connected to you then," he speculated. "Maybe what I saw in the sky that morning was when you got here?"

"I don't know..." she sighed. "Just wish I had some hint of _why_ I ended up here..."

"I'm sure you ended up here for a reason and we'll figure it all out," he assured her. "But it aint gonna do you any good to dwell on it tonight. You should try and get some sleep... I'll keep watch and tomorrow we'll come up with a plan to get you outta here."

"What about you?" she asked. "We've got a job to do, remember?"

"I gotta find Dyne first," he replied with a shake of his head. "If he's down here, I gotta find him…"

"Then I'll help you."

"No," he answered firmly. "This ain't no place for you and 'sides, this is something I gotta do on my own."

"But-"

"No," he repeated with a shake of his head. "Tomorrow, I'm gonna get you back to Cloud and the others and then I'm gonna see this one through on my own. Dyne'll be more likely to listen to me if I'm alone. So no more arguin'. Get some sleep and we'll head out in the morning once all those thugs are back inside."

"Fine," she agreed reluctantly as she settled back onto the couch. "I wish you'd let me help, but I suppose I understand your reasons."

Barret just nodded at her before rising off the side of the couch. He leaned over and blew out the broken candle, which left them both in darkness again. Lightning heard the sound of his heavy boots retreating to the other side of the room where he'd decided to settle somewhere near the door. He wanted her to get some sleep, but her mind was too alive to rest. Her thoughts were racing, trying to process everything she'd just heard.

Tonight had definitely modified her opinion of the dark-skinned rebel leader. His true intentions may have been hard to follow before, but now they were crystal clear. He wasn't just some reckless and angry faction leader that was hell bent on saving the world. No. He had a personal vendetta against the Shinra and Lightning understood those feelings all too well. They had both been wronged by the evil corporation, but she knew that the pain she suffered at their hands was minuscule in comparison to having a loved one ripped away by them. After all, it hadn't been that long ago since she had lost Serah in a similar fashion.

She could recall those familiar feelings coursing through her body as her sister turned to crystal in front of her very eyes. She could still remember the hatred that she felt for the Fal'Cie, the Sanctum, Snow, Cocoon, Pulse, everything. She wanted to destroy it all, to do anything to bring Serah back to her or to make them all pay for taking her away. These were the same feelings that Barret had been harboring toward the Shinra for years now; the only difference being that Serah was able to be saved, there was no bringing his family back from the dead. In her opinion, the Shinra were really no different than the Sanctum and the Fal'Cie, who used, abused and destroyed innocent people for their own benefit. They needed to pay for what they had done and Barret was most certainly in the right for feeling the way he did about them.

Lightning closed her eyes and tried her hardest take advantage of Barret's offer to sleep, but her mind simply wouldn't shut off. Now it was her sister and that dream plaguing her thoughts once more. It would have been easy to dismiss it as a silly dream, but the fact that it kept recurring was beginning to worry her. She'd had the dream so many times now and with each occurrence, it became clearer and more detailed. It felt so real and so she was beginning to wonder if she was perhaps having a premonition, sort of like when she was branded as a l'Cie and saw Ragnarok destroying Cocoon.

She wished that she could shrug it away as easy as she had with Barret—to blame it on stress or the mako, but she knew that it wasn't that simple. Nothing could ever be simple with her. But still, she was really beginning to worry about her sister's safety. She knew that Serah was fine for the time being because none of those events had come to pass yet, but the question of when would continuously linger in the back her mind. The one thing she was certain of was that she would _never_ allow that dream to come true. But then the thought struck her like a bolt of lightning: What if she was here when Serah died? What if that fight with Caius actually took place in this world? How would she be able to stop her sister's death?

 _What if Serah can't be saved…?_

* * *

 **A/N: Wow… it's been a while. A little over a month, I think. Feels like I've been gone forever, but I suppose that it could always be worse. I could be like that Wolf guy, who updates his stories like once a year XD. Anywho, I have really good excuses for half of the time I was away… the last 2-2.5 weeks, not so much lol. This chapter has actually been sitting for a little while, just waiting for me to give it a read through before sending it over to my trusty beta reader (who is still alive, btw). Now you're all probably gonna say that same thing that he does.. 'Isn't that what a beta reader is for? Blah blah blah' XD. Yes, I know.. I just like to make sure it's readable and makes somewhat sense before I let it go lol. Anywho… here it is and a big thank you to Wolf for reading it over for me.**

 **So let's talk about this chapter a bit. Obviously, I'm still doing the shorter chapters (or average compared to some other stories XD). I decided to stick with that through chapter 29, which should see us through the end of the Desert Prison. Once the prison is out of the way, I'll make the final decision in regards to chapter length. I like the longer chapters but I also like the shorter ones, so I'm not sure which way I'm gonna go yet. You all still get the whole story either way, so I suppose that it doesn't really matter one way or another as long as it gets done, right?**

 **What did you all think of this one? Good, bad, meh? No real action in this one, but we made a lot of development between Light and Barret. That relationship has seemed to tread on eggshells throughout the entire story so far… up until this point, she's just kind of viewed him as a loud and angry jerk and he's viewed her as a nuisance that keeps getting in his way and taking Cloud's attention away from the mission. I think this chapter helped them both finally move past that narrow minded first impression that they'd been holding onto for so long and see that there's so much more to each other than they originally thought. They've put a lot of trust in each other here and it'll be interesting to see how that drives their interactions in the future. Anywho, the next chapter will see the return of Cloud and co. I know they've been missed, but rest assured, they will be back. I fully intend to wrap up the Desert Prison next time, so we'll cover quite a bit of ground.. so yeah, expect a longer chapter** **J**

 **Lastly, I would like to say thank you to all those still hanging around to read these updates and a special thank you to all those who've taken precious time out of their day to review. It really means a lot to me. [** **Okikun:** **Thanks for the question. It'll be interesting to see how Lightning copes with everything that'll be happening in the near future. Anyone who has played VII or XIII-2, knows that they are tragic, so it'll be interesting so see how everyone, especially Lightning, handles it. To be honest, I can't wait until I get to that point.. I do love writing emotions lol.] Anywho, thanks again to everyone and don't forget to** **REVIEW the chapter** **. Ochu hasn't been fed in over a month is pretty hangry lol.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Lady A**


	30. Chapter 29: Heaven and Hell, Part 4

**Chapter 29 – Heaven and Hell, Part 4**

"Rise'n shine, Pinky!"

Lightning groaned and quickly shielded her face as bright sunlight suddenly invaded the small room and assaulted her exhausted eyes. She'd spent most of the night staring at the ceiling as her mind raced with thoughts of her sister and everything that Barret had told her during their conversation before. It seemed as though she'd only just fallen asleep when his loud voice jolted her awake again.

"C'mon," he pressed as he walked over to where she lay and then gently kicked the bottom of the couch with his heavy boot, causing her to drop her arm and glare at him in annoyance. "Don't look at me like that," he replied with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "It seems pretty quiet outside now, so I'm thinkin' that this may be as good a time as any to get movin'."

"I'm coming," she sighed as she sat up, swept the pink locks away from her face, and then swung her legs over the side of the couch.

"How do you feel?" he asked as he watched her movements carefully.

"Fine," she replied as she bent over to snatch up her boots from the dusty wooden floor. "My head aches a bit, but I'll manage."

"Sorry..." he muttered. "Never was all that good with healin' things."

"Neither was I," she shrugged as she continued to struggle with her boots. "I didn't bleed to death, so I'd call that a win," she added with a chuckle as she looked up to meet his gaze.

"I suppose," he replied with a slight smile of his own. "Just wish I was a bit better with that sort of thing."

"I'd say you did well enough," she replied. "Like I said, I didn't die. That's all that really matters in the end, right?"

"I suppose," he sighed again. "I still think it'd be a good idea to have Aeris look you over once we get you back."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Really, I am," she added to counter the look of skepticism that he was now giving her. And she was fine. She felt a million times better than she had the night before. Her head did ache a bit, but the pain was manageable. Her ankle, however, felt completely fine, so she concluded that it wasn't as bad as she initially thought and that her head injury had been the more serious of the two. She wasn't sure what the man had hit her with, but everything from that point forward was a little fuzzy and hard to remember. Barret had mentioned that there was a lot of blood, so she gathered that he'd probably hit her hard enough to give her a concussion.

"You sure about that?" Barret voice cut through her thoughts and her eyes shot up to meet his once again.

"Yeah," she hastily replied. "Sorry... I was just thinking about something."

"I'm gonna step out and give you a few minutes to clean up," he replied and then started making his way towards the door. "Just come on out when you're ready. I think I've got a plan to get you back up top."

"Okay, sure," she nodded, and with that, he disappeared from the room.

Once her boots were fastened, Lightning stood up and tested her ankle before putting too much pressure on it. It was a little stiff now that she was upright, but otherwise it still felt okay. Looking around the room, she saw that it was very similar to the small house that she'd taken refuge in the night before. The whole place was in shambles and the only piece of furniture that seemed completely intact was the dirty old couch that she'd just gotten up from. Along the wall behind her were various pieces of broken furniture and the remains of what used to be the kitchen area. There was a fireplace on the wall near where she stood, and it was easy to see that it hadn't been used in quite some time now. Beside the fireplace was a dusty old dresser, whose drawers had been ripped out and thrown against the neighboring wall. On the ground next to them was a small pile of cloth that was heavily stained with what she could only assume was her own blood.

Lightning crossed the room to the old dresser and peered into the cracked mirror that hung on the wall above it. After seeing her own refection, she now understood why Barret had been acting the way that he did. She looked terrible. Her bloodshot eyes were the first thing to really catch her attention, but her whole appearance was a tad bit concerning and it was quite obvious that she'd lost a fight. The redness in her eyes really contrasted with the bright mako blue and made them look much worse than they actually were; her pink locks were filthy, matted, and streaked with the dried blood from the back of her head; her face, arms, and uniform made her look as though she'd been rolling around in the dirt; and there was a fresh purple bruise on her right shoulder that could easily be made identified as a hand print. She'd most certainly seen better days, but it was nothing that a proper nights rest and a nice long shower couldn't fix.

She scanned the room in search of anything that would aid in tidying herself up but found absolutely nothing. Sighing, she turned back to the mirror and began running her fingers through her hair, trying her best to untangle the stubborn, matted locks and to flake away the dried blood. After about a minute or so, she realized that she was fighting a losing battle and just gave up with a loud sigh. She straightened her uniform, retrieved her gunblade from its resting place on the floor beside the couch, and then began making her way toward the door to meet up with Barret outside.

As soon as she opened the door, she was immediately assaulted with direct sunlight and a wave of heat that accompanied it. She held up her arm once again to shield her sensitive eyes as she stepped through the door onto the damaged wooden porch that creaked loudly under her boots. When she lowered her arm again, she saw Barret sitting in front of her at the top of the steps. He hastily rose to his feet again at the sight of her and then gave her a quick once over. "You good?" he asked, and Lightning knew exactly what he was referring to.

"I've looked better," she laughed, "but I'm good."

"Okay… You ready to go?"

Lightning nodded and then shifted her gaze over the small rundown town. "So, what is your grand master plan to get me out of here? You said you had one, right?"

"Not so much of a master plan," he chuckled. "I was jus' thinkin' that I'd cause some trouble and then you'd sneak onto the lift over there," he added with a gesture to the long elevator in the distance that connected the Desert Prison to the bottom of the Gold Saucer."

"That's a fine plan," she replied sarcastically, "but what about when I get to the top? Don't you think there will be guards up there as well?"

"Uh..." he replied stupidly as he considered her logic. "Guess I didn't think about that."

"I'm sure it would have worked out just fine down here, but I'm almost positive that someone would have been waiting for me at the top. This place is full of criminals, so I'm sure they're used to people pulling stunts like that all the time," she said.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

"Trust me, I don't want to spend any more time down here than absolutely necessary, but we need to be smart about this," she answered. "As much as I hate the idea, we need to do a bit of poking around to see if there's actually a way out of here, and preferably one that doesn't involve a run in with the Shinra guards. Surely someone knows a better way?"

"I'm not so sure that it's a good idea for you to parade around after what happened last night," he disagreed with a shake of his head.

"It'll be fine," she responded. "Most of my trouble last night only came because I had to fight on a messed-up ankle, but I'm better now."

"But still," he continued. "It's not a good idea. Why don't you just wait here and I'll ask around and see what I can come up with."

"That's an even worse idea," she replied. "It's better if we stay together. Surely someone saw you bring me here last night and surely someone will see you leave without me. If they didn't bother us last night when I was unable to fight, that means they're afraid of _you_. They wouldn't be stupid enough to take on the both of us on knowing that we're fully armed."

"I s'pose you have a point," he agreed, "but I don't want you here any longer than you have'ta be.. An' I definitely don't want you here come nightfall when all these thugs come back out."

"Agreed," she nodded. "You've been around this place a bit, right? Any idea where to start?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "I asked around last night, lookin' for Dyne, but getting' information from these people is worse than pullin' teeth. Three of the guys I talked to made no sense at all and everyone else just told me that I should go see the boss, but they wouldn't tell me how'ta find him."

"Well, there aren't a lot of places he could be hiding," she replied as she quickly surveyed the small town again. "Maybe there?" she suggested as she pointed to a long semi-truck in the distance with the name 'Shin-Ra' painted onto the side.

"Would make sense," Barret concurred. "I've seen a few people come and go from there, so you might be right. Guess there's only one way to find out. You sure you wanna go?"

"I'll be fine," she nodded. "If there's a way to get out of this dump, this 'boss' person will know how, and the quicker we find him, the quicker I can get the hell out of here."

"Okay, jus' make sure you're ready to fight, if it comes to it," he replied. "And don't go wanderin' your stubborn ass off anywhere," he added. "Stay close."

Lightning simply nodded and then the two of them set off towards the truck on the other side of town. It was easy to see that Barret cared about her well-being; that was blatantly obvious every time he looked down at her to ensure she was still beside him. He seemed paranoid that someone might snatch her away or that she'd venture off on her own and get into even more trouble. Lightning was no fool though. Even though she felt more than confident in her ability to handle these creeps now that her ankle was better, the place still made her very uncomfortable and so she wouldn't be taking any chances.

As they made their way through the sandy town, Lightning felt as though her skin would catch fire from the number of gazes that were burning into it. The inmates could be seen glaring down from the windows of the large concrete building and the ones that lingered outside watched her movements carefully from the shadows, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to make their move. They were staring at her like a pack of hungry wild animals and she was the last piece of meat they'd ever see again. It wasn't hard to tell what was on their minds, and yet they didn't dare try anything. They were clearly terrified of the large dark-skinned man that walked alongside her and were just waiting for the two of them to go separate ways.

"You good?" Barret asked, alerting Lightning to the fact that he wasn't oblivious to the negative attention they were getting.

"Yeah," she nodded as she pressed forward.

"You first," he replied as they approached side of the semi-truck.

"Yeah, okay," she agreed as she began ascending the rusted steps which led up to a door on the side of the long metal box. As she reached the top, she grabbed the handle to pull the door open, but suddenly it swung out with such force that it knocked her backwards into Barret, who lost his balance as well, causing them both to tumble down the stairs and crash painfully into the dirt and debris at the bottom. Lightning felt a little dazed as she struggled to make sense of the situation, but the sound of Barret's angry voice quickly jolted her back into reality.

"Goddammit!" Barret swore loudly as he quickly sat up. "Why doncha watch where you're- …Spikey?"

Lightning quickly followed Barret's gaze to see Cloud standing at the top of the steps with a look of absolute confusion plastered to his face as he stared down at the two of them, trying to work out what had just happened as well. His eyes shifted from Barret onto her and then the confusion was replaced with a look of relief.

"Light," he breathed as he raced down the stairs and then pulled her to her feet. "I'm so sorry… are you okay?" he asked as he looked her up and down.

"I'm fine," she nodded as she attempted to sweep away the sand from her body and then straightened her uniform.

"Like hell!" Barret grumbled as he got to his feet. "Why doncha be more careful next time?! You coulda killed someone."

"Sorry," Cloud mumbled before turning his attention back to Lightning. "What happened!?" he asked as his fingers traced over the purple bruise on her shoulder, and then his eyes landed on the streaks of dried blood in her hair.

"I got in a fight," she shrugged.

"A fight?" he questioned as he furrowed his eyebrows and gave her an intense look. Lightning could see the anger beginning to blaze within his mako blue eyes. "Did anything-"

"Nothing happened," she cut him off. "I promise, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," he countered as his eyes shifted once more from the bruise to the red streaks in her hair.

"I am," she insisted. "I ran into a bit of trouble, but Barret was here to help."

"An' good thing!" Barret growled. "What the hell you doin' lettin' her come here alone?" he demanded angrily of Cloud. "This ain't no place for her, or any woman for that matter. She coulda been killed... or worse! Good thing I was down here and came along when I did, or else she would have been!"

"Do you actually think I wanted her to come here?" Cloud defended as his tone rose to meet Barret's. "I know what sort of people are in this place… and I've spent every second of the past 24 hours trying to find a way to get her out of here."

"I told you, it _my_ decision," Lightning cut in as she stepped between them. "He didn't want me to come here, but we didn't really have a choice. Sure, we could have taken out those guards, no problem. We could have walked out of that amusement park and possibly avoided this place… but what would have been waiting for us on the outside? The Gold Saucer, the prison... all of it is connected to Shinra, so they would have sent the Turks or possibly even SOLDIER to deal with us. Dio and his idiots didn't have the slightest clue who we were... but the Turks and SOLDIER do. We would have been shipped right back to Midgar. You all would have probably been executed, and Red, Aeris and I would have gone back to Hojo. That wasn't a risk I was willing to take, so I made the choice to come down here alone. It was _my_ decision and I'd make it again in a heartbeat. It was the lesser of two evils, and most importantly, it kept everyone else safe and out of trouble."

"Okay, okay," Barret sighed. "I get it and I'm sorry…" he added as he lowered his head to stare at the ground like a child who'd just been scolded by his mother. "What happened last night just made me mad, that's all. I know it ain't Cloud's fault."

"What exactly happened last night?" Cloud questioned and then it was Lightning's turn to drop her gaze to the ground.

"I-uh.." she muttered. She really didn't want to relive it all again.

Barret seemed to pick up on her discomfort rather quickly because he suddenly spoke up in her place. "You know those machines that they put you in before you take the jump down here? Well, the Shinra asshole that sent her down here didn't give her that luxury. He set her up so that she'd get hurt and then he and his buddies attacked her last night… but she kicked their asses. I found her just after the fight ended and we hid out in a cabin on the other side of town."

"How did he hurt you?" Cloud asked, and Lightning could hear the anger building in his voice.

"Broken ankle from the fall," Lightning replied, "and a bump on the head during the fight."

"A bump?" Cloud pressed as his eyes travelled to the streaks in her hair again.

"A bump," she repeated. "But Barret took care of it last night. I promise I'm okay… no harm done."

It was easy to see that he didn't buy her story and he knew that things had been a bit more serious than she was letting on. He opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it and then slightly shook his head to clear whatever thought had just been there. "I'm just glad you're safe," he finally said and then pulled her into a tight hug. "I was really worried about you."

"Sorry for draggin' you all into this," Barret apologized. "If I hadn't run off on you all back there, none of this woulda happened."

"It's not your fault," Lightning replied as she and Cloud let go of each other.

"Did you kill those people?" Cloud asked. "In the Battle Arena?"

"No," he answered truthfully.

"But they said 'a man with a gun on his arm' did it," Cloud challenged.

"He's telling the truth," Lightning defended. "He'll fill you in on everything you want to know, but we should really get out of here first."

Cloud looked as though he wanted to argue further. She could tell from the distrustful look he was still giving Barret. It was easy to read his thoughts, because they were on the same exact track that her's had been the previous night. Barret was guilty in his eyes; he'd killed those people and Cloud was holding him responsible for her being sent here.

"Please?" Lightning whispered.

"Fine," Cloud shrugged. "You've hit a dead-end if you two were looking for answers in there."

"What do you mean?" Lightning inquired.

"I'm assuming that you're looking for the 'boss'?" Cloud answered. "Well, he ain't here. All I was able to find out is that you can't go back up without his permission to enter the 'Chocobo Race'."

"Chocobo Race?" Lightning repeated. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Apparently that's your only ticket out of here," Cloud sighed.

"But couldn't Dio just check the surveillance and see that I didn't do anything?" she pressed.

"He's seen it and he knows that you didn't do it," Cloud answered.

"But then-?"

"I guess he just likes his entertainment," Cloud replied bitterly. "But either way, he knows that you're innocent, but the rest of us are not."

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"The baby-oiled idiot wouldn't let me come down because I hadn't commit a crime," he went on.

"Cloud, you didn't..." she cut in.

"I didn't do anything serious," he quickly defended. "Just stole something from his precious Battle Arena. He sent me and the others down here this morning and we've been looking around for you since."

"The others?" Lightning asked in confusion.

"Yeah," he nodded. "They insisted on being a part of this."

"Where are they?" She asked as she quickly surveyed the small town in search of her comrades.

"Still in there," he replied as he gestured angrily at the door of the metal box. "Probably trying to reason with that idiot."

"Who's in there?"

"Some guy named 'Mr. Coates'," he replied. "I'm thinking he's the second in charge around here to the Boss. He wouldn't tell me anything other than we couldn't do the Chocobo Race without the Boss's permission. He wouldn't tell me where the Boss lived, where to find him, his name... nothing."

"I'll make him tell me!" Barret growled and then suddenly shot up the stairs and then burst through the door.

"Great... he's gonna get us all killed," Cloud sighed before chasing after Barret.

Lightning raced up the stairs and through the door to see Barret stood with his gun trained on a tall, tanned older man with white hair and a neat, pressed green suit. The others were all standing nearby with looks mixed with surprise and horror plastered onto their faces.

"Barret, stop!" Cloud instructed.

"That's right," the man called Mr. Coates replied smoothly. "You kill me and the lot of you will never get out of here."

"Shuddup!" Barret snapped back. "Where's the Boss?"

"I can't tell you that," Mr. Coates answered as he straightened his suit, completely unbothered by the fact that he had a loaded gun pointed right at him. "The Boss likes his privacy. If I told you, I'm afraid that my fate would be much worse than that bullet of yours."

"Tell me," Barret growled.

"I see you managed to survive the night," Mr. Coates said casually as he looked past Barret to address Lightning. "I heard you put on quite a show."

"Don't talk to her!" Barret spat.

"I do apologize for the behavior of the inmates," he went on. "Truly disgusting, if you ask me."

"I said shuddup!" Barret repeated. "You ain't no better."

"Oh, please," Mr. Coates replied as he ran his fingers through his white hair. "You take me for one of those lowlifes? I am a happily married man."

"Yeah right," Barret scoffed.

"I don't need to explain myself to you," Mr. Coates replied cooly. "Barret, was it? Well then, _Barret,_ I'm afraid that I can't give you what you're looking for, so you only have one of two options here. You can either walk away and find the Boss yourself, or you can give into your frustration and put that bullet in my head. I wouldn't recommend the latter of the options, though. You have to win a Chocobo race to get out of here, you see, and I seriously doubt that my wife would be willing to support the person who murdered her husband."

"What's your wife got'ta do with anything?" Barret snapped back.

"She is a Chocobo manager up above," Mr. Coates bragged. "Best in the business, they say. Not a person has lost under her guidance. She has a soft spot for those who Dio tosses down here unjustly, which I believe may be the case for the lot of you. She can help you, but not if you kill me."

"That's all fine and dandy," Barret replied, "but we need the Boss's approval to do all that, and you won't tell us where to find him."

"And when you meet him, you'll understand why," Mr. Coates laughed. "I can't tell you where he is, but it isn't a very big place. It shouldn't take you too long."

"Grrrr," Barret growled.

"Stop it, Barret," Tifa pleaded. "He's right... if we kill him, we may never get out of here."

"I'd listen to her, if I were you," Mr. Coates replied. "The days are short this time of year. Your friend may have gotten lucky last night, but that luck will eventually run out. They'll keep coming back, and each time they'll be better prepared. These lowlifes are the scum of the planet and capable of just about anything, so if I were you, I'd save myself the trouble and try to get out of here as soon as possible."

"We could do that if you helped us," Aeris tried to persuade. "Surely, you could tell us something... a hint? Anything?"

"Would if I could, sweetheart," he replied, "but I'm not about to break the rules. If I were you, I'd ask around. The inmates know the rules too, but you very well may learn something from the things you hear."

"What's that supposed'ta mean?" Barret asked.

"It's okay," Tifa cut in. "We have the information we need. Let's go, Barret."

Barret shot Mr. Coates one last dirty look before giving in and allowing Tifa to guide him from the trailer. Lightning followed the others back outside and down the steps. She'd barely reached the bottom when she was nearly tackled to the ground by Aeris, who wrapped her arms around her tightly as though she were trying to squeeze the very life from her. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said in relief. "We were all so worried."

"I'm okay," Lightning assured as she gently returned Aeris' hug. "What are you all doing down here?"

"We wanted to help you get out of here," Aeris replied as she let go and then scanned Lightning from head to toe. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need me to cure anything?"

"No," Lightning shook her head. "Barret did well enough. You all shouldn't have come down here," she added as she gave the flower girl a stern look of disapproval.

"And neither should you," Aeris retorted, "but it is what it is, and here we are. We couldn't just leave you here... Cloud was going crazy trying to get to you. He didn't want us to come, but we couldn't just sit up there and wait. We wanted to help."

"Look, I'm glad that everyone's safe and all," Tifa began, "but this place is making me very uncomfortable, and I don't think that out here in the open like this is the best place to catch up. We should find somewhere to lay low and figure out our next move."

"Agreed," Lightning nodded. "Barret and I stayed in a rundown house last night. We should go back there."

The walk back to the cabin didn't seem to take nearly as long as the walk to Mr. Coates' trailer had. Lightning couldn't conclude whether the town, in fact, seemed smaller now that she had been through it once or if the journey just felt quicker now that she had the comfort of Cloud and her comrades, or perhaps it was a combination of both. Either way, she was still relieved when she stepped through the door into the same small and rundown cabin that she and Barret had held up in the previous night.

"So where do we go from here?" Tifa asked as soon as the door closed behind them.

"It would seem that we need to find this 'Boss' individual if we ever hope to get out of this place," Red replied.

"Yeah, but he could be anywhere," Barret huffed as he stomped across the room and collapsed onto the couch.

"Then I suggest we start looking," Tifa responded. "Mr. Coates is right, this place isn't that big. Surely someone knows where to find him."

"I don't wanna go back out there," Yuffie whined. "I don't like the way those creeps were looking at us."

"You don't have to," Barret replied. "I'll go back out and ask around."

"I'll come with you," Lightning suggested.

"No," Cloud cut in. Lightning turned to look at him and saw that his gaze was fixed on the blood-stained rags that Barret had thrown in the corner the night before.

"But," she began.

"No," he repeated firmly as he turned to make eye contact with her. "You, Tifa, Aeris, and Yuffie will stay here. Barret, you're staying with them."

"Like hell!" he protested as he jumped up from the couch. "You expect me to just sit here and do nothin'?"

"I expect you to keep them safe," Cloud shot back. "Red and I will go. The people here don't know us. We'll ask around, get a bit of information, and then come back to discuss what we've learned. If we have a promising lead on the Boss's location, then we'll all go back out together.. but until we have any solid information or a lead, you four don't leave this house," he added with a stern look to all of the girls.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Yuffie sighed in relief and she sank onto the couch.

"We want to help too, Cloud," Tifa protested. "Wouldn't it be faster if we all went out and split up into groups?"

"No," he shook his head. "We've already drawn enough attention to ourselves. Red and I will go, and that's the end of the discussion," he added as he summoned the red beast, and then opened the door, allowing a wave of heat inside. "We'll be back soon."

"So, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Aeris asked as the door closed behind him.

"Relax?" Yuffie suggested as she kicked her feet up onto the couch.

"I don't like this," Tifa admitted as she walked over to peek out the window. "We should be out there helping them, not just standing around and waiting."

"Spikey's right," Barret disagreed.

"But-"

"No buts," he scolded. "Spikey asked me to watch the lot of you while he was gone and that's what I'm gonna do… so I suggest you all park your asses somewhere and get some rest, 'cause we're in for a long night if he doesn't find anything."

Tifa looked as though she wanted to debate further, but finally gave in and turned her gaze back to the window. Lightning sighed and then walked over to the place next to the door where Barret had slept the night before, and then sank to the ground, resting her gunblade across her lap. She began fumbling around with it but soon grew bored and set it aside. Leaning her head back onto the wall, she closed her eyes and her thoughts immediately went to Cloud.

She knew that he was more than capable of taking care of himself, but she couldn't help but worry. The odds of anyone messing with him were somewhere between slim and none. She was more worried about him starting the fight. He hadn't been in the best moods this morning and she completely understood why. Even without her telling him what had gone on the night before, he knew. It was easy to see that. His emotions were driving him, and she was afraid that his hatred for the inmates in addition to the blame he was reserving for himself would eventually cause him to snap. She just hoped that it didn't cause any serious ramifications for him or the rest of the group when he did.

The door suddenly swung open and hit the wall, startling Lightning and causing her eyes to shoot wide open. She looked around in confusion for a few seconds and then realized that she must have fallen asleep. Heavy boots pounded against the ground next to her and she looked up to see an irritated Cloud. Red followed him in and then shook his mane violently to rid himself of the sand that had clung to it.

"Well?" Tifa asked impatiently.

"Nothing," Cloud replied irritability.

"What'da mean 'nothin'," Barret demanded.

"Exactly what I said," Cloud huffed. "We talked to every damn person we could find and no one would tell us anything."

"Surely someone knows something," Tifa reasoned. "Are you sure you asked everyone?"

"We did," Cloud replied, "and no one would talk."

"Maybe they really don't know," Aeris theorized.

"It's more like they're afraid to talk," Red clarified. "It was easy to see that they knew something, but whoever this 'Boss' is has them scared to death."

"The only people that would talk to us at all were these three babbling idiots," Cloud continued, "but they weren't making any sense."

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked.

"They were on about this place being Heaven and rambling on about standing still if I got stranded in the middle of the desert… and then said something about never ever seeing a 'mysterious Chocobo carriage'," he replied. "To be honest, I think they may have been drunk. When I asked about the Boss, they replied that they'd never seen a man with a gun on his arm before, which wasn't what I asked at all, but then they told me that if I wanted to meet the Boss that I should go Southwest... There's nothing Southwest but Mr. Coates' trailer and open desert."

"Lies..." Lightning muttered, causing the others to look at her in confusion.

"What?" Cloud asked as he looked down at her.

"All lies," she repeated as she rose to her feet.

"I know that," Cloud replied. "What are you-"

"They told you this place is Heaven, right?" she continued. "It most certainly isn't.. It's hell. They told you to stand still if you get stranded in the middle of the desert... another lie. If you stood still, you would die. I don't know about the carriage, but this place must get food and supplies somehow. I'm sure that the inmates come from other places besides the Gold Saucer as well, so that may be how they're getting here. I assume if we hung around long enough, we'd probably see this Chocobo carriage. The man with the gun on his arm... I'm pretty sure everyone in this place knows who Barret is by now, so another lie. As for the Boss's location... they said southwest... what's northeast?"

"Desert?" Cloud shrugged.

"A junk yard," Lightning corrected him. "If he's not in town, he has to be there."

"You may be right on this," Cloud smiled. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

"So, we don't have to wait here this time?" Aeris asked.

"No," he shook his head. "I think we'll find him this time. Just make sure that everyone's ready for a fight though, just in case."

The group gathered their belongings and began to file out of the small house. Lightning picked up her gunblade, returned it to its holster and began to follow the others, but was stopped by a gentle tug. She turned around to face Cloud only to see that his eyes were now full of remorse. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words filled the space between them. Instead, he just pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"For what?" she questioned. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"I could have stopped this," he began. "I could have done more-"

"There was nothing you could do," she cut him off. "Nothing that would have made the situation better anyway," she continued as she pulled back a bit to look him in the eyes. "Nothing happened," she assured him. "I'm okay... I promise."

Cloud didn't say anything. Instead, he kissed her forehead and pulled her back into his arms. The two of them stood there for a moment, locked in a tight embrace. It was the first time in days that Lightning felt truly comfortable and at peace. It was a feeling that she only felt when they were together; when she could feel the warmth of his skin on her own and their hearts beat rhythmically as one. Even if it was only for a moment, in that moment, all felt right in her world.

"Hey! Are you two coming?" Aeris giggled as she poked her head back through the door.

"Yeah," Cloud replied as the two of them broke apart. Aeris smiled and then retreated outside, leaving the two of them alone again. "Ready?"

The walk to the junk yard was a quick one. When they arrived, nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. It looked just as it had the day before. Lightning was beginning to think that maybe she had been wrong, when suddenly Aeris pointed to a broken gate off in the distance and began running toward it. As they all trailed behind her, something on the ground quickly came into focus—a body!

"This one's been shot too," Cloud observed as he leaned down and flipped the man over, revealing his lifeless eyes.

"Jus' like in the Gold Saucer," Barret added as he scratched his head thoughtfully. Lightning knew exactly what was going through his mind because she was starting to draw the same conclusion, she just hoped they were both wrong.

"We must be close," Red stated as he began sniffing the ground, following the trail through the gate and toward a mess of old broken-down cars.

"Do you think we'll find the boss here?" Aeris asked. No sooner had she asked the question, a loud gunshot echoed through the air, causing her to jump slightly.

"I think we're exactly where we need to be," Cloud answered as he pressed forward. Another gunshot filled the air and Cloud quickly held his fist up to stop them. He crept forward to a rusted blue car and peered around it and then motioned for the others to join him.

"….Dyne?" Barret whispered in disbelief.

"That's Dyne?" Lightning asked as she peeked around for a better look at the man standing before them. He was dark-haired, tall, and muscular. He wore green pants, a grey vest, and tall combat boots. His back was turned to them and his gun arm was extended out as he fired over the canyon.

"Come on out," Dyne called, with his back still turned to them. "I know someone's back there."

Lightning's head quickly withdrew behind the car again as she looked to Barret for guidance. He looked around at all of them and then shook his head. "This is my fight," he sighed. "You all stay here and let me handle this."

Lightning opened her mouth to protest, but Cloud's hands on her shoulders instantly silenced her. He mirrored Barret's head-shake and then mouthed, "let him go."

"This is MY problem," Barret whispered as he looked around at each of them. "I'll be okay… trust me."

"I said come out," Dyne called again, and then Barret rose from the ground and proceeded around the rusted car.

"Dyne?" Barret addressed. "…Is that you?"

"Now that's a voice I haven't heard in years…" Dyne replied. "A voice I'll never forget…" he added as he slowly turned around to face Barret.

"I always hoped I'd be able to see you again someday…" Barret confessed. "I knew you were alive somewhere… we had the same operation," he continued, holding up his gun arm for Dyne to see.

Barret opened his mouth and began to say something, but Dyne suddenly cut him off. "I can hear her voice," he said as he looked up to the heavens. "What's that? It's Eleanor's voice. Begging me… not to hate your rotten guts. That's why I never hunted you down…"

"…I know I was stupid," Barret sighed. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. But.. what are you doing in a place like this? Why ya wanna kill people who ain't even involved? Why?"

"Why!?" Dyne shouted. "The hell do you care!? You think the dead understand 'why's'? Is hearin' Shinra excuses gonna make people in Corel understand anything? I don't CARE about reasons! All they give us is artillery and stupid excuses… what's left is a world of despair and emptiness…"

Barret remained silent, so Dyne continued on. "You still want to hear 'why'?... alright, I'll tell you. 'Cause I want to destroy everything. The people in this city. The city itself. The whole world! I got nothing left in this world," he continued as he turned around again. "Corel… Eleanor… Marlene…."

"Dyne, Marlene…" Barret interjected. "Marlene's still alive."

Dyne turned his head and looked over his shoulder in confusion.

"I went back into town," Barret explained. "I thought she was gone for sure. I wondered around town for a while… that's when I found her… found Marlene. She's in Midgar. Let's go see her together, alright?"

"So, she's alive?" Dyne asked as he looked to the heavens once again. He stood there for a moment and then dropped his gaze to the ground. "Alright, Barret. Then I guess you and me gotta fight."

"What!?" Barret gasped as his jaw dropped.

"Eleanor's all by herself," Dyne went on as he turned around to face Barret again. "I gotta take Marlene to her."

"Dyne… are you crazy!?" Barret accused.

"Marlene wants to see her mom, don't she?" Dyne questioned calmly, before firing a bullet right at Barret's feet causing him to jump backwards. Dyne chucked and then fired another shot directly at Barret's head, which he deflected with his bracer.

"Stop, Dyne!" Barret responded. "I can't die yet!"

"Oh yeah?" Dyne retorted. "Well, my life's been over since then," he added as he shot again, causing Barret to dive aside.

"Stop it!" Barret pleaded as he stood up and faced his old friend. "I don't wanna fight you."

Dyne stared back for a few moments and then began laughing. He aimed his gun again and then began firing wildly. Barret quickly rolled aside and grabbed a yellow car door from a pile of debris to shield himself from the bullets. He quickly retreated back to where the others were hiding and then once he was safe behind the car, he sank to the ground and sighed.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked in disbelief.

"I can't hurt him," Barret confessed. "I can't fight him… not like this."

"So, what do you plan on doing?" Cloud mocked. "Hide back here until he surrenders?"

"That's not-" Barret began.

"It's hard to fight someone you love," Lightning interrupted. "I get that. He seems mentally unstable… So instead of fighting on his terms, why don't you try to restrain him… and try to make him listen to reason."

"What did you have in mind?" he inquired with curiosity.

"Give me that," Lightning instructed as she grabbed the yellow door that Barret had been using as a shield.

"What are you doing!?" Cloud demanded as she pulled out her gunblade and quickly checked her ammunition.

"Creating a diversion," she replied casually. "I'll draw his attention over there," she gestured to a small green car. "Barret, you go around these cars and take him out from the other side. He doesn't know that we're all here, so he won't see it coming."

"I'll do it," Cloud volunteered.

"It has to be me," Lightning explained. "We need a good diversion for this to work. He's expecting bullets and I'm the only one aside from Barret with a gun," she continued. "I'll hide behind the door so he doesn't see me and once I'm in position, I'll fire a few shots in his direction… nothing to hurt him though, just enough to make him think he's being fought back. Once I have his attention, Barret will sneak up on him and detain him."

Cloud opened his mouth to object, but Lightning quickly grabbed the door and then rushed out into the line of sight, firing two shots in Dyne's direction. She couldn't see him, but the sudden onslaught of bullets onto her shield told her that she had successfully gotten his attention. When she reached the car, she tossed her shield to the side and then held her gunblade over the trunk and blindly fired another two shots. She quickly dropped to the ground and covered her head just as a hail of bullets pelted onto the side of the car, shattering all of the windows and spraying her with broken glass.

She quickly glanced back to the others to see them staring at her worriedly. Barret could be seen sneaking around the backside of the car, and so she lifted herself up and began blindly firing again to buy him more time. A loud groan told her that she'd accidentally hit the target and she quickly peered around the side of the car to see him grasping his arm, which had fresh blood pouring down and pooling on the ground beside him.

Lightning's heart stopped in her chest as he swore loudly and then looked directly at her. A temporary look of confusion flashed across his face and then quickly transformed into anger as he began rushing toward her. She quickly extended her gunblade into sword mode and braced herself for an attack, but a loud grunt and then the sound of something hitting the side of the car very hard told her that Barret had intercepted him.

She peered around the side of the car to see the two of them rolling about in the dirt, as they both struggled for the upper hand. Barret let out a loud groan as Dyne kneed him in the stomach and then rolled over and attempted to get to his feet again. Recovering quickly, Barret struck Dyne across the face with his gun arm, causing him to collapse back onto the ground. He quickly rose and then aimed his gun right at Dyne's head. "Enough," he spat.

Dyne looked at him defiantly and then slowly got to his feet as well, staggering backward slightly. "Back!" he commanded as his hand found his injured arm again and then smeared the blood as he attempted to wipe it away. "I shoulda known you'd pull a cheap stunt like that," he accused as he spat on the ground.

"I didn't want to fight you at all," Barret defended, "but you weren't listening."

"I didn't just lose an arm back then…" Dyne went on. "I lost something irreplaceable. I don't know where it all went wrong…"

"Dyne…" Barret began and then sighed loudly. "I don't know either, man. Is this the only way we can resolve this?"

"I told you…" Dyne responded. "I… I wanna destroy everything… everything… this crazy world… even me."

"And what about Marlene?" Barret questioned. "What's gonna happen to her!?"

"Think about it, Barret," Dyne went on. "How old was Marlene back then? Even if I did go see her.. she wouldn't even know me… and what's more… my hands are too stained to carry her anymore…" he added as his head dropped in sadness.

Barret didn't say anything but lowered his own gaze and shook his head.

"Barret…" Dyne began again as he removed a pendant from his neck and tossed it to him. "Give that pendant to Marlene… It was… Eleanor's… my wife's… a memento."

"Alright," Barret nodded as he placed the necklace into his pocket.

"…So, Marlene's… already four…" he muttered as he walked over to the edge of the canyon and stared out over it. "Barret…" he whispered as he turned around to face him. "Don't you… don't you ever make her… cry."

"Dyne…?"

Dyne gave Barret one last look of remorse and then extended his arms to the side and fell backward into the canyon.

"DYNNNNEEEE!" Barret screamed as he lunged forward towards the side of the canyon.

Lightning sprang forward after him and she could tell from the footsteps behind her that the others were following in her wake. She came to a halt just behind him as he slowly sank to his knees and began to sob.

"Dyne…" he choked out. "Me and you were the same… My hands ain't any cleaner. I shouldn't carry Marlene either…" He knelt there for a few moments staring over the side of the canyon and then suddenly the walls below them echoed with his scream of anguish.

Lightning stepped forward and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. He remained still for a moment before looking up at her with watery eyes. He gave a quick nod, slowly rose to his feet and cleared his throat.

"I-uh," he began as he looked down and nudged a rock with his foot.

"You don't have to say anything," Lightning replied, "but we're here if you want to talk about it," she added.

"Thank you," he nodded again and then sighed. "So much for getting the boss's approval…"

"I'd say you got something better than approval," Lightning answered.

"Hmm?"

"The necklace," she pointed out.

"Right.." he muttered as he retrieved it from his pocket and inspected the thin gold chain. "Let's take this back to Mr. Coates and get the hell outta here," he added as he began walking towards the town.

"Give us a minute," Cloud replied as he looked at Lightning. Barret nodded and then motioned for the others to follow him, leaving Cloud and Lightning alone.

"Dyne killed those people in the Battle Arena, didn't he?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Barret told me about Dyne last night… They were best friends and he thought Dyne had died at the hands of the Shinra when they destroyed Corel.. but then when we arrived at the Gold Saucer, he heard rumors suggesting that he'd been seen. He followed those rumors here and that's when he found me last night. He had no idea that Dyne was the boss."

"Think he'll be okay?"

"I hope so," she nodded. "Dyne has been dead to him for years now. But after hearing the rumors, he built up hope that he would find him, and they could go back to what they were before… that Dyne would join us and reunite with Marlene. He wanted to find the Dyne that he grew up with, but today, all he found was the shell of what used to be his best friend. I think that was the hardest part for him… seeing that no part of that man existed anymore… that he had actually died at the hands of Shinra."

"That's rough," Cloud responded. "I'm just glad that neither of you were hurt," he added as he brushed the pink strands aside and then kissed her forehead. "Let's catch up with the others and get the hell outta here," he continued. "You and this place have given me enough stress over the past twenty-four hours to last me a lifetime."

* * *

"You want somethin'?" Mr. Coates asked impatiently as they filed through the door of his small trailer.

"I want to go up," Barret stated as he stomped his foot into the ground threateningly.

Mr. Coates sighed heavily and then ran his hands through his white hair, "like I told you before, you gotta get the boss's permission, then win the Chocobo…"

"Dyne's got his reasons and can't speak," Barret interrupted, "so I got this, instead."

"Yeah, bull-" Mr. Coates began, but quickly paused when he saw the pendant that Barret was holding up.

"I want to go to," Barret said firmly.

"R-right!" Mr. Coates stammered. "Did you kill Dyne? You must have or you'd never be holding that thing," he added. "…So Dyne's dead… maybe now this place will calm down a little. Dyne didn't care who anyone was…"

"The hell do YOU know!" Barter shouted angrily as he grabbed the front of Mr. Coates' green suit and yanked him so close that he could feel Barret's hot breath on his face.

"R…ight!" he coughed. "I mean…no, I don't know anything. S-sorry."

"Barret, stop!" Lightning commanded as she rushed forward and grabbed his shoulder. He turned slightly to acknowledge her presence and then loosened his grip.

"Then, will you get us out of here?" Cloud asked.

"Huh?" Mr. Coates replied as he straightened up and fixed his suit. "Oh man, you guys are mistaken. I already told you. There's only one way to get outta here. That's to win the Chocobo race, and that's held up there, in the Gold Saucer.. and only one racer can go up at a time."

"Say what!?" Barret growled angrily as he grabbed the man again.

"Nooo!" Mr. Coates whimpered. "Really, even if you threaten me. A rule's a rule. I can't change it. If I do, the whole system down here'll get messed up! An' I can't do that! I'll let one go up there. After that, he's gotta deal with Dio."

"Barret, let him go," Lightning commanded again.

"Alright then," Barret agreed as he let go of Mr. Coates. "Cloud, you go."

"Huh?" Cloud asked in confusion.

"You're the best one for the job," he replied. "I ain't go no real experience on those damn birds and I'll bet no one else here does either. I'd suggest sending Pinky, but she'd probably just find a way to extend her sentence," he added with a laugh as Lightning shot him a dirty look. "We'll wait here. Hurry up and win that Chocobo Race, and get us outta here!"

"Barret's right," Lightning agreed. "It should be you."

"You expect me to just leave you?" Cloud objected.

"No," she replied. "You're getting us all out of here."

"Have you decided?" Mr. Coates asked.

"I guess so," Cloud nodded hesitantly.

"All you need now is a manager.." he replied. "To register and get a Chocobo."

"Hi, I happened to hear you story," a woman said as she walked into the trailer. She had blonde hair and wore a bright pink dress with matching pink shoes. Her outfit seemed a bit odd and completely out of place in the prison, and Lightning couldn't help but wonder why she was just wandering around such a place.

"Ester?" Mr. Coates asked as he looked up and then smiled.

"I'll be your manager," the woman called Ester smiled as she looked around at them.

"Well, I have nothing against it, but…" Mr. Coates began and then Ester shot him a stern look. At that moment, Lightning recalled their conversation from before where Mr. Coates had mentioned that his wife was a Chocobo trainer. This woman was his wife and that's why she was able to roam around the prison without being messed with. "This is Ester," Mr. Coates began again. "She may look kind of funny, but there's no better manager in the races," he added jokingly.

"That's so rude…" Ester shot back with a grin. "Yeah, well, nice to meet you all."

"Alright then, Cloud, I'll send you up on the elevator. Ester'll fill you in on the details." Mr. Coates said.

Cloud nodded with resolve and then followed Ester to the door before turning around to face the group again, "wish me luck."

 _Good luck, Cloud. You'll need it…_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 ***Peeks around corner***

 **Is it safe for me to come out, or will I be murdered for my long absence? XD**

 **I'm super sorry for the major delay in this chapter, it was never my intent to go 2 months or longer between my updates. Am I at least eligible for a bit of forgiveness since it was close to being a ten thousand word chapter? I've been working on this thing whenever I've had a bit of free time, but unfortunately, I don't get a whole lot of that anymore. I feel bad going so long between updates, especially when I get messages asking me if I've abandoned it or asking me to please continue writing it. I can assure you all that** **it hasn't been abandoned** **. I have big plans for this story and I am still very passionate about writing it… it's just a matter of squeezing it into my busy schedule. I've still not quite adjusted to my new job and the responsibilities that go with it, so hopefully when I settle a bit more into it, I'll have more free time for the things that I love doing… like this story lol.**

 **So what did you all think of the chapter? Or the Heaven and Hell series as a whole? This part of the game really focuses on Barret's back story. We see a completely different side to him here and I wanted to take full advantage of that crack in his tough exterior to work on his relationship with Lightning. Up until this part, she's been nothing more than a pain in the ass to him; someone that just gets in his way. I wanted to give them a section where they were isolated from the others and forced to work together to overcome their differences and opinions of each other. I couldn't think of any better place for that than the Desert Prison. This part created a strong bond based on mutual trust between them and we'll see a whole lot more of that going forward. We also saw a bit of a difference with Cloud in this series, one in which he was being driven completely by his emotions and desire to keep her safe. I think it's important in this story to see that stoic, don't care attitude fall away and be replaced with real human emotion. I think that it makes his character seem more relatable and the romance between them so much more believable.**

 **So, in the next chapter, we'll begin with the group's departure from the prison and trip to Gongaga, which was Zack's home. The next few chapters will be more story filled, so expect a bit more from these updates. Things are going to pick up in a big way. We'll see a lot more development between Light and other members of the party; Light's own personal development and discovery of a few unsettling things about herself and her own reality; And of course, more development between our favorite couple. Speaking of, and I wanted to run this by you all first… We're rapidly approaching a certain place in the story and I had originally planned a lemon for this part. Is that something that you all would like to see, or should I scrap the idea? I was just wondering because a few people have asked for it, but I also know we have quite a few underage eyes falling upon this thing and that not everyone likes to read that sort of thing. Anywho, drop me your thoughts below to let me know any opinions you may have on the subject and I'll take them into consideration.**

 **As always, thank you to all of the readers for sticking with this story, those who have followed/favorited, and to those who take a few minutes to leave their thoughts in the review section. The feedback that I receive definitely pushes me forward and drives my decisions. I've been writing this thing for a little over a year and a half, and the amount of support that I still receive is staggering. I never thought the story would make it this far (because let's be honest, I suck lol), but I am really glad that it has and that so many people are enjoying the story that I am so passionate about telling. Also, a mega thanks to the world's best beta reader, Wolf (who is still alive, btw), for reminding me often that I still have a story to tell here and ensuring that I'm not screwing anything up XD**

 **Thanks again everyone… you all really are the best! Hope to see you all soon… don't forget to leave your thoughts on this chapter below. :)**

 **Until next time…**

 **Lady A**


	31. Chapter 30: Turbulence

**Chapter 30 – Turbulence**

Cloud took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the elevators slowly ascended towards the Gold Saucer. He felt like it'd been going for ages now and he was beginning to grow impatient, however he did not voice his frustrations to Ester. He was grateful that he possibly had a way out for the others, and he didn't want to mess that up by giving her the wrong impression of him. If he wanted to win this thing, he needed every ounce of assistance that she could give him. After all, he was no Chocobo jockey.

"Hmm… So that's what happened," she remarked thoughtfully in response to his story about Lightning being unjustly blamed for the slaughter in the Battle Arena, and his quest to rescue her from the prison. "I'll speak to Dio directly… he and I go way back. You just concentrate on the race."

 _'_ _And how am I supposed to do that?'_ he wondered. ' _I've never done this type of thing before.'_

"Oh yeah, getting back to the other thing," she continued. "There are many types of Chocobo jockeys. It's not just for criminals. Some people compete for fame, some people compete for the money, some for glory… and there're people like you."

 _'_ _Great,'_ he thought as his stomach tightened with nervousness. _'Up against professionals. I'll never win this thing.'_

"Oh yeah, I'll teach you how to ride a Chocobo," she added, clearly taking in the discouraged look upon his face.

 _'_ _But not well enough to compete against professionals,'_ he thought with a sigh as the realization began to sink in that he might not be able to free the others, after all.

"…But it's pretty hard to make the Chocobo run the way you want it to. If the Chocobo doesn't like you, it won't listen," Ester's voice broke through his thoughts.

 _'_ _Dammit… has she been talking this whole time?'_ he wondered as he shook his thoughts away and began paying attention.

"But most Chocobos I have are pretty mellow and you should be able to handle them. But, if you go faster than the Chocobo can handle, it will quickly lose its stamina. Some Chocobos are bad tempered and can't pace themselves. They'll lose their stamina quickly," Ester added as the elevator came to a halt.

When the doors opened, Cloud was a bit surprised by what he saw. The vision he had was to be met by heavily armed guards awaiting the arrival of escapee criminals, but what he now saw was far from that image he'd painted in his head. He and Ester had arrived in a bright and colorful lobby with a large oval table positioned right in the center. There were no guards. Instead, there were four men sat around the table talking excitedly and not one of them bothered to look up to acknowledge their presence. There was a man stood nearby in the corner, using one of the vending machines. He was dressed a bit nicer than the others, with his bright red jacket and tight white pants, and from the back, Cloud was unable to determine whether he was a jockey or a Gold Saucer employee.

"You new?" the man asked as he turned around and sipped on the beverage he'd just retrieved from the vending machine.

"Hi, Joe," Ester answered with an excited wave.

"Hey, Ester, you're looking pretty as usual," he replied as he shifted his attention onto her.

"Thanks," she smiled. "Let me introduce you, Cloud. This is Joe, one of the top Chocobo jockeys."

"Nice to meet you, Cloud," Joe said as he extended a hand, to which Cloud ignored and simply nodded in return.

"Uh... Okay," he muttered. "If you're with Ester, then..."

"Right! He's an up and coming jockey," she cut in. "He'd only been down there a day and already he made it up here!"

"What!?" he asked in astonishment. "Oh, I see... So, why did you get put down?" he asked and then Ester shot him a disapproving look. "Sorry, we're not supposed to ask about the past here. Pretty interesting... I have a feeling that we'll meet again," he smiled. "Well, until then, Cloud," he nodded and then excused himself from the room.

"I'm going to check on the Chocobo and a few other things," Ester informed him. "You just wait here for a while."

Cloud nodded and then Ester disappeared as well, leaving him with the four remaining men that still hadn't even bothered to look in his direction. Cloud let out a heavy sigh as he looked around the lobby. This place was such a joke. How could an organization with their own prison full of criminals not properly guard the only exit from it? Had he known that it would have been this easy, he wouldn't have bothered with any of this. Instead, he would have left the others up here like he wanted to, gone down by himself, found Lightning as quickly as quickly as possible, and then after disposing of the two guards at the door below, taken the elevator back up. Things would have gone so much simpler. They wouldn't have wasted time talking to Mr. Coates, debating amongst themselves and searching for the Boss, or dealing with Dyne with they finally found him. Dyne would still be alive and they would have been miles away from this place by now.

 _'_ _The race will start in a few moments,'_ a woman over the intercom called, causing the four men to briefly look up and then rise from their seats to head toward the door. _'Will the jockeys for the next race please proceed to the paddock.'_

 _'_ _Where the hell is Ester?'_ Cloud wondered impatiently, staring after the jockeys as they disappeared through the door. _'Isn't this my race?'_

He walked over to the table and sank into one of the chairs, which was still warm from its last occupant. _'I'm never going to get the others out of there,'_ he realized as he pressed his face into his palms and then swept them back through his spiky locks. Even if Ester walked through that door right now to summon him for the race, there would be no way she could effectively train him to race in the next five minutes. He could always request to race at a later time, but what of the others? He didn't know how long his training would take and refused to leave them down there any longer than absolutely necessary.

"Why the long face, boy?"

Cloud's eyes immediately shot up at the intrusion and his eyes fell on none other than Dio standing in the doorway. This was a face that he hadn't expected to see and he wasn't quite sure what his next move should be. Part of him wanted to pull his sword and cut the man in half for his troubles, but the other part of him was still following Lightning's logic and knew that it would only lead to more trouble. Cloud didn't say a word, instead he just continued to stare at the baby-oiled man.

"It's rude to ignore a question, boy," Dio said with a chuckle.

 _Was Dio here to taunt him?_

"What are you doing here?" Cloud demanded.

"I own this establishment," Dio reminded him as he flexed his biceps.

"What are you doing _here_?" Cloud repeated, referencing the room he was currently sat in.

"Ahh, I see," Dio laughed. "I suppose it is a bit out of place for the proprietor to be wandering around the jockey lounge. No, I can assure you that I have no interest in participating in the races today. I'm here at Ester's request."

"Ester?" Cloud questioned.

"She's a dear friend of mine, you see. We grew up together and she's always been like a sister," he continued. "She seems to like your lot quite a bit. Stormed into my office, shouting at me with that adorable accent of hers. I'd never been so scared in my life," he added as he ran his hands through his hair and gave an embarrassed chuckle. She told me everything. I knew your pink-haired friend had nothing to do with what happened in the Battle Arena. I saw that after I had already sent her down. I was going to have my boys fetch her and bring her back up, but then you and your friends had to start trouble. There's no forgiveness for theft around here, boy," he added with a stern look. "I'd heard rumors about your friend this morning, and I'd like to offer my sincerest apologies for that. That sort of behavior from our guards reflects poorly on this institution and it will not be tolerated. Ester also told me that you and your friends took care of Dyne for me, and for that, I would like to offer my full gratitude."

Cloud didn't say anything but looked on in confusion, so Dio continued.

"Dyne has been a problem for this establishment for a while now," he went on. "He rose to power down there quite some time ago and has caused nothing but trouble since. This attack of his on the Battle Arena was the first of its type. That's where the confusion with your friend arose. He'd made attempts to escape to the surface before but had never made it past the guards below. This incident in addition to the incident with your friend and the guard that sent her down, leads me to believe that there was a bit of corruption within the ranks. Mark my words, there will be a full investigation into these events, but with him gone, I fully believe that his supporters will disband and order will be restored."

"So, what does that mean for me and my friends?" Cloud asked.

"Well, Ester demanded that I pardon you and your friends and then apologize, so I suppose that's what I'm doing," Dio laughed.

"What about the race?" Cloud asked.

"That won't be necessary," Dio informed him. "I've already sent a few of my boys down to collect your friends and they'll be waiting outside with a gift."

"A gift?" Cloud questioned and then the PHS in his pocket suddenly came to life, almost on command.

"Hello."

"Cloud this is great!" Aeris exclaimed over the phone. "The Assistant Manager just stopped by and dropped off a buggy! Now, we can go over deserts and rivers, no problem! Okay, Cloud, we'll all be waiting outside," she added and then the line went dead.

Cloud closed the PHS and stuffed it back in his pocket before turning his attention back to Dio. "Um... thanks," he mumbled.

"Ester put up one hell of a fight for you," he shrugged.

"Because they didn't deserve to be down there in the first place," she scolded as she entered the room behind him. "Congratulations, Cloud. It looks like you're free to go," she added to him with a smile.

"Thank you, Ester," he gratefully nodded.

"I guess this is goodbye," she replied. "If you ever get your own Chocobo or want to learn to ride, come back and see me. I'll take care of everything. I'll see you again!" she waved as she turned around and left the room.

"Well," Dio began, "I'll have some of my boys escort you outside to your friends... and here, take this," he added as he passed a shiny golden plastic card to Cloud.

"What's this?" Cloud asked as he turned the card over in his hand to see the words 'Lifetime Pass' etched into one side above a small barcode.

"That's a lifetime pass to the park," Dio replied. "As another apology for your friend and gratitude for handling Dyne while you were down there, we just wanted you to know that you and your friends are always welcome here."

"Uhh... thanks," Cloud mumbled as he stuffed the card into his pocket. The chances of him coming back here or allowing Lightning within ten miles of this place were somewhere between slim and none, but he figured that maybe Barret and Marlene might get some use out of it after this was all over... that is, if it wasn't too painful for Barret to bring Marlene to the very place that her biological father had died.

"Oh yeah," Dio continued. "That pass is good for unlimited stays at the hotel as well as unlimited rides."

"Thanks," Cloud mumbled again as he walked towards the door. This thing might actually be worth something after all. Perhaps, he would try to sell it in the next town.

"If you come back, make sure you properly check out the Battle Arena," Dio went on. "We offer big rewards to guys that can fight like you."

"Not interested," Cloud replied with a dismissive shrug.

"That's what he said, too," Dio shrugged. "...Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth?" Cloud questioned as he turned around with renewed interest.

"Yeah, he was here," Dio explained. "I bet he's quite popular with boys your age. Why don't you try and get his autograph? I think he was heading toward Gongaga, south of the river."

 _'Gongaga?'_ he wondered. He had never been there once in his life, but for some reason, his stomach knotted painfully when he heard the name. _'What business would Sephiroth have there?'_

"Not sure why he's heading in that direction," Dio continued. "That place is nothing more than a pile of rubble now. Maybe he wants to see the ruins of the reactor?"

"Hmm," Cloud nodded as he began heading towards the door once again

"See ya around," Dio called.

 _'Don't count on it.'_

* * *

"Gongaga?" Barret questioned. "The hell's he goin' there?"

"I dunno," Cloud shrugged.

Lightning sat in silence as she listened to the recap of Cloud's conversation with Dio. She was really glad that it had all gone well and that they wouldn't be spending any more time in that sandy prison, but she couldn't help but question Dio's information. She didn't know much about this world, its towns, or their history, but if this 'Gongaga' place truly was destroyed a few years back, she didn't see why Sephiroth would be heading there. The information seemed invalid to her, so she pulled out the world map that Jessie had given her and began to inspect it, searching for some other place in the area that might be of interest to him.

 _'Gongaga...',_ she thought as her finger located the Gold Saucer on the center continent and then traced south to find the town's location at the bottom of the map.

"Are you sure that's what he said?" Tifa asked as she peered over Lightning's shoulder to stare at the map. "I could see if he was passing through there on his way somewhere else, but there's nothing else around. According to this map, the next closest town is... Cosmo Canyon, but that's in the other direction"

"That is correct," Red nodded. "My hometown."

"Could you think of any reason that Sephiroth would go to Gongaga?" Cloud asked the red furred beast.

"None," he shook his head. "There isn't much left of the place. The town was built alongside the mountain and it was destroyed a few years ago when the reactor blew up. Most of the townspeople were killed by the explosion. We offered the survivors refuge at Cosmo Canyon, but most of them stayed behind."

"Could it have something to do with the reactor?" Aeris asked.

"I don't see how," Red replied. "From what I hear, there wasn't much left of it."

"Could he possibly know someone that lives there?" Tifa questioned.

"He doesn't strike me as the type to have alotta friends," Barret dismissed. "Maybe that idiot got it wrong," he continued. "Maybe he meant Cosmo Canyon?"

"You think?" Tifa scratched her head thoughtfully.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" he replied. "Spikey's the one who talked to him."

"Cloud?" Tifa asked. "….Are you okay?"

Lightning followed the martial artist's gaze to see Cloud staring at the ground with a look of intense concentration painted upon his face. He looked as though he were trying to figure out the world's most challenging riddle but having absolutely no success. He didn't respond to Tifa's words or even seem to notice that the entire group was now looking at him. Something was clearly bothering him, so Lightning quickly stuffed the map back into her pocket and approached him.

"Cloud?" she asked softly as she lowered her head slightly to meet his gaze that was still trained onto the ground. He didn't even respond to her presence and continued to stare straight through her as if she weren't there at all. "Cloud?" she tried again as she cupped his face in her hands. "Are you okay?"

He twitched at her touch as if he had just been shocked back to life and then his eyes finally focused on her face. "Huh?" he asked as he looked at her in confusion.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," he replied quickly as his eyes shifted nervously from her to the others. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Anything we can help with?" she asked.

"No, it's nothing," he replied with a shake of his head.

Lightning gave him a skeptical look but decided to just drop the matter for the time being. She knew him well enough to know that something was bothering him, but she knew that getting it out of him would be no easy task. He wasn't the type to willingly discuss his problems, no matter how much they were upsetting him. She hoped that he would open up and trust her with whatever was bothering him, but she knew her chances of getting him to talk were non-existent while the others were still around.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Gongaga?" he questioned as he looked around at the others. "Have we decided?"

"I think it's worth a look," Tifa nodded.

"But what if he aint there?" Barret countered. "Then we just wasted a bunch of time on a junk yard."

"Time that can be easily made up with the buggy," Red reminded him. "I do not recall anyone mentioning Sephiroth travelling by one himself, which means that he's probably on foot."

"I sure as hell don't see him on no Chocobo," Barret laughed. "Okay, it's worth a go."

The rest of the group nodded in unison and then filed back inside the buggy, Barret taking the driver's seat. Cloud remained where he was and tilted his head back to look at the overcast sky and then exhaled heavily. Lightning stood just outside the buggy and stared at him worriedly. Whatever was bothering him from before still weighed heavily on his mind and she couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with the town they would be travelling to.

Red had mentioned that it had been destroyed by an explosion several years ago. Had the Shinra destroyed it just as they had destroyed Corel? Was it possible that Cloud had been involved in some way? Could he have been part of this misdeed during his time serving Shinra? Had he, at one point, been capable of destroying an entire town and murdering hundreds of innocent people? Lightning swallowed hard and tried her best to shake the thought away. That wasn't a place she wanted her mind to go at all. Cloud couldn't be capable of something that terrible… he just couldn't.

"Hey, are you two coming?" Aeris asked as she poked her head from the buggy. "We're all waiting!"

"Yeah," Lightning mumbled and then looked back in Cloud's direction to see that he was now walking towards the buggy. Cloud entered the vehicle and she behind him. She took her place next to the window and stared out at the dark, ominous clouds in the distance. A storm was quickly moving in and she hoped that it was not a symbolic representation of the events to come. She didn't want to think that Cloud had been involved in any sort of tragedy... and if he had, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.

* * *

"Where the hell is this place?" Barret asked as he stopped the buggy and surveyed the side of the mountain and the overgrown vegetation that surrounded it. "Lightnin', you sure this is the right place?"

"This is the right place," Red confirmed in her place. "The ruins of the town and reactor are in there."

"You mean we gotta hike through a damn jungle?" Barret complained.

"Not that I recall," Red replied. "It's been a really long time since I was last here, but there should be dirt roads leading through to the town... but I'm not seeing any of them."

"Could they have just overgrown?" Aeris asked.

"It's quite possible," Red answered. "Once the reactor was destroyed, the traffic to and from the village most likely stopped completely. But it's also possible we could be looking for the entrance in the wrong place."

"I'll check this area out," Lightning volunteered. "You all take the buggy a bit further and see if you can find the road. If I find anything here, I'll call on the PHS."

"I'm coming too," Cloud added.

"Okay," she agreed without hesitation. She hadn't been trying to bait him, but now that the opportunity had presented itself, she knew that it would be her golden opportunity to speak to him alone.

"Okay," Barret replied. "We'll look a bit further. If you two need somethin' or find the road, give us a call."

Lightning nodded and then snatched her gunblade from the floor beneath her feet. Once she and Cloud stepped from the buggy and it began to drive away, Lightning opened her mouth to speak, but for some reason, her words were suddenly lost along with her nerve. She had so many questions for him, but she couldn't bring herself to ask any of them. What if the assumption that was now plaguing her was all wrong? What if it was something else entirely that was bothering him and it had absolutely nothing to do with this town? She knew that there was something off with him, but it was wrong of her to speculate. What if her questions offended him? Or created distrust between them? Could she really handle that? Maybe it was best to just let it go...

"You alright?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah," she hastily replied. "Sorry... was just thinking about something. Guess we should get started. Do you really think the entrance is here?"

"Hard to say," he replied. "The best we can do is walk along the edge and look for any signs of a path."

"Sounds easy enough," she nodded. "I'll start here and move east, you west. If you find anything let me know."

"Okay," he nodded.

Lightning set off in her own direction and began inspecting the ground for a path or even the slightest break in the brush. She had barely been walking a minute when a noise caught her attention. It was hard to make out at first but as she continued walking, she soon recognized it as voices... male voices, and laughter. She strained her ears and closed her eyes but couldn't quite make out what they were talking about. Lightning turned around to signal Cloud but didn't want to draw the attention of the party she was attempting to eavesdrop on. His back was to her as he walked further away, so she quickly removed her gloves and cupped her hands together to mimic the bird call that she'd learned in the Guardian Corps. No sooner had the sound escaped her hands, he spun on the spot and began making his way toward her.

"What's up?" he whispered.

"Listen," she commanded.

"People," he observed. "Think it's the town?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "but we should probably check it out."

"Good call," he agreed. "That probably also means the path is here after all."

"Probably," she nodded and then stepped into an overgrown patch of grass and weeds, which caused her legs to itch fiercely. "I really need invest in a pair of pants," she grumbled quietly as they proceeded further. "I hope none of this is poisonous..."

Cloud let out a soft chuckle, "I'll buy you a pair when we get back to civilization. But luckily for you, I've found the path," he added as he separated a patch of tall grass with his hands to reveal the dirt path.

"Thank god," she sighed as she reached down and scratched the back of her calves that were now red. "I'm pretty sure that was a patch of Poison Ivy back there," she added with a roll of her eyes.

"Shhh," he commanded as he held up a hand to silence her. The voices were getting closer. "Get back in there!"

Lightning sighed and rolled her eyes again but did as instructed. Cloud followed her and the two of them knelt in the brush to await whoever was approaching. The voices sounded familiar to her, but she was having a hard time placing them. She might have had an easier time with it if her brain hadn't been occupied trying to suppress her urge to scratch her legs. She looked at Cloud, who seemed to have already figured it out based on the hard expression on his face. She began to feel frustrated with herself for not figuring it out as well, but no sooner had the anger risen, it was immediately replaced with dread as a laugh filled the air around her. She knew who at least one of the voices belonged to because it was one that's she had met before. That night, in Don Corneo's mansion... the night that changed her life forever. He had been waiting for her and she could still see that smug expression upon his face as she fell right into his trap.

"Turks..." she whispered and Cloud nodded slowly.

"Hey, Rude," Reno asked as they approached. "Who do you like?"

A silence filled the air, and so Reno addressed his comrade again. "What are you getting so embarrassed about? Come on who do you like?" Rude remained silent, so Reno continued, "it's Lightning that does it for me."

 _'_ _Huh?'_

"Lightning?" Rude questioned. "Man, you really are trying to piss Cloud off, aren't you? I'm pretty sure that's his girl."

Lightning felt sick to her stomach at what she was hearing and Cloud shifted angrily beside her as the two men passed them. She placed a hand on his knee and shook her head to stop him from doing anything stupid.

"What?! No way!" Reno defended. "Well, who do you like?"

"….Tifa," Rude finally admitted.

"Hmmm..." Reno thought. "That's a tough one."

"Look who's talking," Rude laughed. "Lightning? Good luck with that one!"

"What can I say?" Reno shrugged. "I like strong women. But poor Elena... she... you..."

"No, she likes Tseng," Rude corrected him.

"I never knew that," Reno admitted as their voices began to fade again. "But Tseng likes that Ancient..."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Lightning said in disgust as she stood up and stepped from the brush.

"It's so stupid," a woman's voice said from behind her, causing her to spin on the spot to face a blonde woman that she had never seen before. She was dressed in the same style suit as Reno and Rude, so Lightning could only assume that she was also a Turk. However, Lightning felt a sense of relief because this woman didn't seem to recognize her either. "They always talk about who they like or don't like. But Tseng is different," she continued.

Cloud quickly appeared at her side and drew his sword threateningly. The blonde looked confused for a moment, but her gaze quickly hardened as she seemed to recognize Cloud. Her eyes shifted from him back to Lighting as if she had just pieced together who Lightning was as well.

"Ah!" she exclaimed. "They're here," she called ahead to the others. "They're really here!"

No sooner had the blonde called, Reno and Rude came running to her aid. They looked at the pair of them in confusion and then Reno shook his red hair from his face. "Hmmm..." he began as his eyes shifted from Cloud to Lightning. "Then it's time..." he added as he removed the baton from his belt and extended it, while Rude raised his fists.

On instinct, Cloud extended his sword challengingly and Lightning quickly retrieved her gunblade and flicked it open into sword mode. The blonde woman tried her best to maintain her tough exterior, but her eyes reflected absolute terror as she looked around at the four of them. She was clearly less experienced than the others and wasn't prepared for what she was up against. Reno shot Lightning a greasy smile and then addressed his partner, "Rude... don't go easy on them, not even the girl."

"...Don't worry, I'll do _my_ job," Rude replied sarcastically.

"Then, we're counting on you," the blonde inserted as she backed away. "I'll report to Tseng!"

"It's been a while," Reno smirked. "We'll consider this payback for what you did in Sector 7."

"Sector 7?" Lightning questioned.

"Oh, that's right," Reno sniggered. "I suppose you were a little occupied when all that went down. I've been meaning to ask... how was your time with the mad scientist? You look good, so I'd say it was an overall improvement."

"Shut up and get out of our way," Cloud growled as he lunged at the red-haired Turk.

"That's as far as you go," Rude replied as he intercepted Cloud with a punch to the gut. Cloud staggered back slightly and then raised his sword again, ready to cut the dark man in half. Rude smirked and then waited for the weapon to lower before catching the sides of the blade with his hands. Lightning wondered why the man would attempt such a dangerous thing until she saw the blaze escape his fingers and engulf the large sword. Cloud hissed in pain and then quickly dropped his weapon onto the ground with a loud clatter. "Let's keep this fight fair, shall we?" Rude smirked again before lunging at Cloud a second time.

"How exciting," Reno remarked lazily as he scratched his head with his baton. "Well, Lightning, would you care to dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask," she replied sarcastically as she extended her sword to the side and bolted toward him, swiping it upwards as she reached her target. A brief look of concern flashed across Reno's face as he narrowly managed to escape her razor-sharp blade. She wasted no time and immediately swung at him again, but her blade was repeatedly countered with his baton in a series of well-timed parries. The man dropped low in attempt to sweep her feet from beneath her, but she managed to leap just in time to avoid being knocked to the ground. As Reno rose, she quickly aimed for his face, but her blade met only the cold hard metal of his baton.

"You'd make a good Turk," he remarked as he pushed back against her.

"Shut up," she spat and then head-butt him as hard as she could.

He staggered back slightly and wiped a small amount of blood from his nose before smirking once again, "I like a girl that fights dirty."

"I said shut up," she commanded as she lunged at him again with her sword raised high. She brought it down with all her might, but it met nothing but metal again as the blade collided with his baton.

The two of them stood there for a moment as they pushed against each other, and suddenly Reno gave her a smug smile as if he had something mischievous up his sleeve. Lightning quickly delivered a knee below his belt and then flipped backward to avoid whatever he'd had in store for her. Reno's hands fell to his knees and he let out a pained cough, before looking back at her with fury burning in his eyes. Lightning raised her sword again and then quickly glanced over at Cloud, who was holding his own in hand to hand combat against Rude. Her eyes shifted back to her opponent as she awaited his next move, but he didn't come at her. Instead, a look of amusement flickered in his eyes and he threw his hand out, sending a wave of magic in her direction. She instinctively drew her sword back horizontally in an attempt to deflect whatever it was that he'd sent in her direction, but the magic wrapped around her sword and filled her body.

Lightning remained still as the magic danced and crackled around her weapon and the electricity coursed throughout her body. It wasn't painful at all; somehow, she had managed to absorb it. She looked back at Reno who had a look of absolute horror painted onto his face at what he was seeing, and then she gave him a smug grin of her own. She willed Reno's electricity and some of her own to return to her sword and then dropped to one knee as she swung the blade through the air, releasing the burst of energy right back at the red-haired man. The force from the assault threw him backward with a loud thud and he let out a groan as his body collided with the dirt road.

"Enough," Rude commanded as he abandoned his fight with Cloud to race to his comrade's aid. He helped Reno to his feet and then snatched the pair of broken sunglasses from his own face and tossed them aside. "This isn't over," he threatened as he retrieved another pair from his side pocket and shoved them onto his face. "Until next time," he added as he helped his injured friend limp away.

"You okay?" Cloud asked as he approached her and inspected her for any signs of injury.

"I'm fine," she nodded truthfully as a few drops of cold rain touched the bare skin of her shoulder. "What about you?"

"All good," he nodded, "but we should call the others and let them know where we are."

"Agreed," she nodded and the PHS in her pocket suddenly came to life. "...Hello?"

"Light?" Aeris' worried voice came through the speaker. "Where are you? Are you okay? I've been trying to call..."

"Um... yeah, we're fine," she replied. "Sorry, we ran into the Turks."

"The Turks!?" Aeris gasped.

"Yeah, but they've cleared out," Lightning informed her. "We're just inside the brush where you all dropped us off. We've found the road."

"Oh, that's great," Aeris replied. "We're close... be just a second. Bye!"

"Aeris?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah," Lightning nodded as she stuffed the phone back into her pocket. "They're almost here."

"Good thing," Cloud remarked as the rain began to pick up. "We're gonna need to find shelter soon," he added as he looked up at the dark clouds that were now rolling in above them.

"Cloud! Light!" Aeris' voice called out. "Where are you?"

"Here!" Cloud called back and a moment later, the rest of the group began filing through the overgrown grass and weeds.

"Man," Yuffie complained. "Haven't these people ever heard of 'property upkeep'?"

"The town is that way," Cloud remarked as he pointed to a few tiny structures the distance that were barely visible through the tall grass.

"Well, let's get our asses movin' before we get caught out in this storm," Barret replied. "Hopefully, this place has an inn or somethin'."

"I wouldn't count on it," Tifa replied dryly.

"Well, I'm sure whatever we find will be better than standing out in the rain," Aeris inserted cheerfully. "Let's go!" she added as she began walking towards the town.

"Oh my," Tifa remarked as they approached the tiny settlement. "….Well, I suppose it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

Lightning looked out over the town. Only five houses made up the small community and all five of them were messily constructed of what appeared to be stone recycled from the structures that previously stood here. All but one of them were cylinder in shape, and all of them had roofs that were made from the thick leaves of the surrounding trees. A rather large graveyard greeted them at the entrance and the ruins of a once prosperous reactor could be seen looming in the distance behind the town.

"You with Shinra?" a woman asked as she exited the graveyard.

"No," Cloud answered.

"But aint that a Shinra uniform? she pressed. "And your eyes have that glow,' she added as her own eyes shifted suspiciously from Cloud's face to Lightning's.

"Were," Cloud corrected. "Not anymore though. We're just seeking shelter from the storm."

"Well, you won't find much here," she continued. "This place was destroyed by the reactor three years ago. It took my husband and most of the townspeople."

"I'm so sorry," Tifa gasped.

"The Shinra people told us the reactor would make everyone happy, but all it brought was sadness," she continued. "It's been a while since the explosion, but you can still find the pieces it left all over town. Since then, we've banned the use of mako and live with nature, so I'm not sure you'll find whatever it is that you're looking for," she added as she returned to the graveyard.

"Thank you," Aeris called after her. "...How sad."

"Well, let's check this place out," Barret replied as he entered the town. "The wind is startin' to pick up and we need a place to stay for a while," he called over his shoulder.

"I don't think this place has an Inn," Tifa observed as she looked around. "Maybe we should go back to the buggy?"

"That might be the best plan," Red agreed.

"After comin' all this way, we're juss gonna turn around?" Barret grumbled.

"What do you expect us to do?" Tifa argued.

"Hey, are you all travelers?" An older man called from his front door. "Well, come on! Get out of the storm!"

"Thanks," Cloud mumbled as he entered the house and shook the rainwater from his golden locks.

"Hey wait," the man gasped as he stared into Cloud's face. "That glow in your eyes... Are you in SOLDIER?"

"No," Cloud quickly replied. "We not with Shinra and we don't want any trouble."

"No, it's not like that," the man clarified. "Do you know anything about our son?"

"Your son?" Cloud repeated.

"His name is Zack," a woman in the corner of the room spoke up.

Something flickered in Cloud's eyes when the woman spoke the name, but he adverted his gaze to the ground as if to think.

"It's been close to 10 years since he left for the city, saying that he didn't want to live in the country..." the woman continued. "He left saying that he was going to join SOLDIER. Have you ever heard of a Zack in SOLDIER?"

Cloud's gaze shifted uncomfortably from the woman to the man who were both staring at him anxiously. They seemed desperate to hear something, anything about their son. If it had been ten years, Lightning knew the chances of this man coming back were slim. Staying away could have been a personal choice, but she was willing to bet that it was the alternative. She couldn't help but feel like these people already knew the truth and were simply looking for closure, an explanation of what happened to him. She felt so sorry for them… she couldn't imagine going on for ten years and not knowing whether a loved one was alive or dead. The anxiety would have probably driven her insane.

"Hmm… I don't know," Cloud mumbled as he turned away to face the door. "Zack… Zack… I don't know anything about that man," he continued, but for some reason, he didn't seem very convincing. "…But the name sounds familiar…. Why?" he continued to think aloud. He stood there staring at the door for a few moments and then suddenly disappeared through it into the storm outside.

"The hells he going!?" Barret demanded. "Has he lost his damn mind?"

Lightning quickly looked around to see that the others seemed to be just as confused as she was about Cloud's sudden behavior. Everyone except Aeris, that is. The usual bright and cheery flower girl had an uncharacteristic look upon her face, as if she had just been truly disturbed by something. The rest had now shifted their attention onto Lightning as if she held all the answers, or perhaps they were expecting her to do something… to go after him, to get to the root of his odd behavior, anything. It was her place, after all, and she stood a better chance of getting it out of him than anyone. Lightning gave a swift nod of understanding and then bolted through the door after him.

The rain outside was heavy and cold, and the wind made the water drops feel like small pellets assaulting her bare skin. Lightning held up a hand to shield her eyes as she searched around for her blonde-haired companion, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Cloud!" she called out, but her voice barely carried over the sound of the wind and rumbling thunder.

She let out an involuntary shiver as she stood in the middle of the town. She'd been outside for less than a minute now and she was already drenched and freezing. The only part of her that remained dry were the socks within her boots, but it was only a matter of time before the water soaked though there as well. She swept aside the wet matted locks from her face and then quickly looked over the small town again for any possible hint of where Cloud might have gone, but each of the houses seemed as unlikely as the next. Perhaps he had gone back to the buggy? That seemed like the strongest possibility, but as she turned to head in that direction, the thunder rolled angrily, shaking the small town around her, and then a large bolt of lightning shot through the sky over the ruins of the reactor.

Lightning stood there for a moment, staring at the destruction in the distance. With the dark skies and pouring rain, it was hard to clearly see the place. It was supposed to be nothing more than a pile of rubble, but for some reason, it was calling her. She stared on in confusion and then realized that it probably wasn't the place calling her, it was Cloud. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew that's where she would find him.

Without another thought, she turned on the spot and dashed through the town's entrance and past the now abandoned cemetery. The rain was beginning to let up by the time she found the correct path that led to the reactor. Her boots could now be heard beating against the mud underneath and she could feel the muck splattering against her thighs as she ran. She could see the dark ruins of the reactor getting closer and closer, and as she wiped away the rain water and drenched hair from her face once again, something caught her eye on the path in front of her: Blonde hair.

"Cloud!" she called, but her voice was cancelled out by another low rumbling of thunder. The storm was beginning to recede now and Lightning was grateful, even though she was thoroughly soaked by this point. She caught up to him just as he was walked through the broken gate, which once served as the entrance to the facility. She grabbed his arm and he spun around in surprise. He looked at her with a perplexed expression for a moment before finally speaking.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same question," she replied. "Cloud, what's going on?"

"You shouldn't be out here," he scolded, ignoring her question altogether.

"And neither should you," she countered. "Why did you just take off like that?"

"It's nothing," he replied and then turned away and began walking again.

"No, it isn't," she disagreed as she grabbed his arm again. He didn't say a word but jerked his arm from her grasp and continued walking. She looked after him in bewilderment as he continued to retreat further into the ruins. He wasn't himself at all at the moment and she was torn as to whether she should approach him again or just leave him be. Finally, her curiosity and persistence got the better of her and she decided to try again.

"Cloud, please," she said softly as she caught up to him and touched his shoulder. This time, when he spun around, Lightning could have sworn he had almost attacked her. The glow in his eyes seemed off and they were filled with so much anger that Lightning felt truly afraid of the man in front of her. They stared at each other for a few moments, and then suddenly his gaze softened as if he were truly seeing her for the first time. "Cloud…" she began again, unsure of the reaction she would get this time.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Everyone was worried," she replied as she dropped her own gaze to the ground. "…I was worried."

'I'm sorry," he replied. "I didn't mean to worry anyone."

Lightning raised her gaze once again to look him in the eyes. She feared that she would find the same anger blazing in in his mako blue orbs as before, but she didn't. His gaze remained fixed and unchanged and she let out a small sigh of relief. "I love you, Cloud, but you need to talk to me," she began. "What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on," he defended.

"Bullshit!" she snapped, letting her own anger get the better of her. "You've been acting weird since this place came up earlier. What is your connection to it?"

"I don't have a connection to it?" he replied. "I've never been here before in my life."

"Really? You expect me to buy that?" she argued.

"It's true," he shrugged.

"Then what is it?" she questioned. "Back at that house… when those people asked you if you knew their son… you started acting… really weird. What was all that about?"

"I don't know him," he stated with a shake of his head. "I don't know what they're expecting of me, but I can't help them," he added as he turned away.

"You've never been here before… and you don't know their son…. So, what is your problem? Why are you acting so strange?"

"I don't know!" he shouted as he turned around to face her again.

"What do you mean you don't know?" she questioned.

"I mean I don't know," he repeated angrily. The two of them stood there in silence for a few moments, staring at each other. The rain had finally stopped and the skies had lightened considerably, but it did nothing to suppress the angry glow reflecting in both of their eyes.

Lightning let out a heavy sigh and then shook her head. "If you want to keep me on the outside, fine," she said. "Guess I'll see you back in town…" she added and then began to walk away.

"Light…" he called after her. She stopped and slightly turned her head, waiting for an explanation. "I'm not keeping you on the outside… I love you, so please don't ever think that. I'm telling you the truth… and the truth is, I don't know why this place is bothering me."

Lightning turned around and opened her mouth to reply, but Cloud cut her off.

"I've never been here before," he continued, "but there's something about it that's messing with me. It feels like I'm forgetting something, but I don't know what that could possibly be. It's been eating away at me all day and I can't figure it out. When those people asked about their son… Zack… something snapped. I just couldn't take it anymore. I don't know him… or at least I don't think I do. He was in SOLDIER… but I don't remember him… and I can't figure out why I don't remember him. It was all getting to be a bit too much… this place, those people, and not being able to figure any of it out, so I left. I came here, hoping to find at least part of the answer, but there's nothing here. Nothing but junk, anyway."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "Why did you keep it all in?"

"Because it was stupid," he replied.

"It's not stupid," she shook her head. "If something's bothering you, you should be able to talk to me about it."

"I know and I'm sorry," he apologized. "I thought I could figure it out on my own, but I couldn't. I never meant to worry you or anyone else."

"But you did," she said. "Before... the anger... that look in your eyes..." she trailed off as she reflected back to that moment. Those eyes staring back at her had been so full of anger... so full of conflict... and glowed differently than usual. It was like they hadn't been his at all. "It was like you didn't even know me."

"I'm sorry," he apologized again. "I don't know what got into me... but it's no excuse. I promise you, it'll never happen again. Light... I-"

Lightning suddenly held a hand up to silence him and he gave her a strange, almost hurt look. She placed her index finger to her lips and then signaled to her ear for him to listen. She thought she had heard voices, in fact, she was almost positive that she had. Perhaps the others had come looking for them, or perhaps it was the village kids coming to play at the ruined reactor. Whoever it was, she'd definitely heard them. She strained her ears a bit longer and then she heard it again, distinct voices and getting closer. There were at least two people that she could hear, a man and a woman. She glanced at Cloud, whose eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he listened. Suddenly his expression changed and he grabbed her by the arm and led her into hiding behind a large piece of scrap metal.

"It's Scarlet... Head of Weapon Development," he whispered. Lightning peeked around the side of her hiding place to see a blonde-haired woman approaching. She was very thin and wore an extremely low cut, red floor length dress, with a very high slit up the right side, and matching high heels. Her hair was swept back and clipped high on the back of her head, and her face was framed by long layered bangs. She looked more like a prom queen than the head of anything that had to with weapons. In fact, she looked as though she'd never even seen or held a weapon, never mind leading a department that was responsible for developing them. She was accompanied by a man with long, dark hair, and dressed in a nice suit that was nearly identical to three others that she has seen earlier that day. He was no doubt, a Turk.

"Tseng," Cloud mouthed as he tapped her leg to get her attention. "Leader of the Turks."

"Hmph!" the woman called Scarlet huffed as she inspected a piece of junk amongst the wreckage. "This isn't any good either... You only get junky Materia from junky reactors. This reactor's a failure. What I'm looking for is big, large, Huge Materia. You seen any?"

"….No, I haven't seen it," the man replied. "I'll get on it right away."

"Please," Scarlet nodded. "We could make the ultimate weapon if we only had some."

"I just can't wait," Tseng agreed.

"With Hojo gone, Weapon Development's been getting a bigger budget," she continued.

"I envy them," Tseng replied dryly.

"But, even if we make the perfect weapon, could that stupid Heidegger even use it?" she rambled on, more to herself than to the man beside her, who remained silent. "Oh... Sorry!" she laughed. "I forgot that Heidegger was your boss! Kya hahahaha!"

Lightning felt herself cringe at the woman's shrill laugh. She'd never in her life heard anything so annoying.

"So, uh, where did you say that Hojo had gone?" Tseng asked, changing the subject.

"I didn't," she corrected him. "Oh, who knows?" she shrugged. "The official statement is that he's taking vacation, but I've heard a few other things."

"Oh really?" Tseng looked up in interest.

"Yeah, I've heard that he's been suspended due to that incident at Shinra HQ," she went on. "Losing four specimens that the company put a lot of time and resources into obtaining wasn't well-received."

"I see," Tseng replied. "So, no one knows where he is now?"

"Probably out looking for his specimens," she laughed. "The board wasn't very happy with him, especially about losing the pink-haired one."

Lightning shifted uncomfortably, and Cloud placed his hand back on her leg and shook his head.

"What's so special about that girl anyway?" Tseng asked.

"Oh, my dear sweet boy," she said with eyes full of amusement. "You know better than ask about confidential matters."

"My apologies," he lowered his gaze to the ground as if he had just been scolded by his mother for being naughty.

"Oh, well, let's go," she commanded. "The weather should be cleared up enough to get the chopper back into the air. I can't stand this humidity anymore..." she added as she ran a hand through the hair surrounding her face. Tseng didn't say another word and just followed silently behind the woman.

"...Big, large, Huge Materia?" Cloud questioned as he and Lightning both stood up and exited their hiding place. "An ultimate weapon? The perfect weapon? Just what are the Shinra up to? And Hojo... where has he gone? What does this all mean?"

"I... don't know," she whispered.

Lightning was still in shock at what she had just heard. She'd hoped that the Shinra would have forgotten about her by now, but clearly not. She still had no idea why they had been after her in the first place, but Scarlet apparently knew the reason. Lightning wanted nothing more than to chase the woman down and beat the information from her, but she knew that it would probably just lead to more trouble. She and Cloud had gotten lucky against the Turks earlier, but she didn't know if they were still around. If Tseng was still here, they were probably nearby as well. She doubted that she and Cloud could take on all of them alone. She didn't know what the Shinra needed her for, but she wasn't going to walk so easily back into whatever it was.

"You okay?" Cloud asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Uh... yeah," she replied.

"Are you worried about Hojo?"

"No," she lied.

Cloud looked at her skeptically as though all her fears were written in permeant ink across her face and then placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know that I'll never let that man anywhere near you again, right?"

Lightning nodded, but the truth was, she wanted to see him again. Despite what the man had done to her and being terrified of him, she needed to see him again. She needed to know why… she needed to know his reasoning for taking her and for doing the horrible things that he'd done to her. It hadn't been all fun and games to him or just another science experiment. He had targeted her specifically. He had a reason; a plan. Some master plan that she was necessary to carry out… but what was it?

She closed her eyes as she thought back to her last interaction with the man in search of any clue of his motives. He'd mostly just taunted them in attempt to get a rise out of them. He barely acknowledged what he'd done to her at all. He was so casual about it and only expressed his displeasure that he didn't get to finish what he'd started. The conversation then shifted to Sephiroth and at that point and he began mocking Cloud for chasing after him… but then, he asked her if she was chasing Sephiroth too, or if she was just blindly following Cloud. And when Cloud got defensive, Hojo commented that his reaction was 'very interesting'. What had he meant by all that? Cloud was chasing Sephiroth because he wanted to stop him… and she had followed Cloud because he and the others were the only people she had left… That is why she followed him, right?

 _'_ _Were you in SOLDIER… would you like to be my guinea pig?'_

Lightning's eyes shot open to see Cloud looking at her in concern. Those words had been meant for the man in front of her. She had been so upset at the time that she'd dismissed them, and she wasn't sure if they had been heard by Cloud at all. What had Hojo meant when he asked that? It seemed more like a taunt than an actual question, like he was trying to get the same rise from Cloud that he'd gotten from her. Cloud had been in SOLDIER and he'd obviously been exposed to mako as well. Was it possible that Hojo had done something else to him during the process? Had Cloud been a part of Hojo's experiments as well, and if so, did he even know? Something from his past seemed to be haunting him and it appeared to go much deeper than the events of his hometown a few years back.

 _'The Shinra, Hojo, Sephiroth, Gongaga, Zack... could it all be related somehow?'_

"Are you okay?" he asked as he continued to look at her with eyes full of concern.

Lightning quickly nodded, "I'm fine."

 _'Are you okay, Cloud...?'_

* * *

 **A/N: Annnnd I'm back again. My update time wasn't too awful this time around, right? Life's still keeping me busy, but I'm pretty motivated to write at the moment. The story is starting to pick up and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel here. I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if anyone was hoping to read the Chocobo race, but honestly, I didn't feel like writing it lol. My plan was to cover the remaining story at the Gold Saucer and make it completely through Gongaga so I could start the Cosmo Canyon bit (which will most likely be a two-parter) next time. I wanted to fill in where the game sort of fell short in describing Cloud's slowly crumbling mental state. This part of the story is critical for that because hearing Zack's name and visiting his home now has the wheels turning in his head. I hope to do a better job than the story of illustrating just how unhinged Cloud because of all of this. So I apologize once again for skipping the race, but this story was never meant to be 100% canon lol. Lightning's presence in Cloud's world changes things quite a bit, and we may see a few more instances like this where my plot may go in a different direction than VII's storyline. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter nevertheless.**

 **As mentioned before, the next chapter will lead us to Cosmo Canyon. This is a pretty big part of the game in terms of story, and that will apply to my chapter as well. The wheels in Lightning's mind are also turning in a big way and she's actually beginning to piece things together… perhaps not about herself or her value to the Shinra, but she's starting to piece together Cloud's past, without even realizing it. Things will be really picking up here she's not too far away from learning things about herself as well. I'm getting pretty excited about this, no lie!**

 **I just want to extend a huge thank you to all those who reviewed last time. I was simply astonished by the staggering number of reviews that came in very quick succession. You all sure how to make a girl happy lol. I'm glad to know that you all are still enjoying the story and my writing. I want to give a special thank you to my buddy, Wolf, not only for his services as trusty beta reader, but also for coming to my defense after I received a not so nice review a couple of weeks ago. That made me happy :)**

 **I only have one thing to say to any Negative Nancies that decide to bash my story or its plot: If you don't like it, feel free to go read something else! *Shrugs***

 **Anywho, moving on….**

 **I received a bit of feedback last time about the potential lemon, but you still have a bit of time to cast a vote if you haven't already. I have a place in mind for it, but that's totally up to you all if you want to read that sort of thing. Drop me a review and let me know.**

 **As always, thank you to everyone who takes precious time out their day to read this story. Your support means more than you will ever know. I never in a million years thought I would write a story good enough to make it to CHAPTER 30 (technically 31 lol), but I was able to do so because the continued support and love that I get from all of you. So thank you for encouraging something that I love to do!**

 **You all rock!**

 **Lady A**


	32. Chapter 31: Playing With Fire

**Chapter 31 – Playing with Fire**

Cosmo Canyon, Valley of the Fallen Star, pilgrimage site for those pursuing the study of natural life, home to a famous observatory, where an eternal flame burns, and the birth place of AVALANCHE. Barret had been going on enthusiastically about the place since they'd departed Gongaga and within the short span it took to travel between the two towns, Lightning already knew more about their next destination than she did any of the previous places she'd visited thus far. The dark-skinned man made no effort in hiding his excitement in visiting the famous town and he kind of reminded her of the tourists that used to visit her seaside hometown during the annual fireworks display. It was… kind of annoying, actually, but she just remained silent and continued to listen to him ramble on about it.

Since they'd departed the previous town, the rest of the group had, for the most part, remained unusually quiet, save for the occasional awkward small talk between them or the short remarks of acknowledgement they gave to their animated comrade as he went on and on about Cosmo Canyon. The group's dynamic hadn't quite been the same since they'd left Gongaga and half of them seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders as they went along.

Cloud's actions back in Gongaga could be blamed for a lot of it. His odd behavior seemed to be bothering Tifa greatly. She'd barely said more than two words to any of them since Cloud and Lightning had returned from the reactor, and Lightning was unsure if it had been Cloud's behavior that had upset her or if she was upset by the fact that she hadn't been the one to chase after him. For some reason, Aeris seemed even more bothered by the events in the previous town than Tifa had, but Lightning was unsure why. Normally, the flower girl had an ear to ear smile plastered upon her pretty face, but it had been missing from its usual place for hours now.

Lightning had to admit that she was still a bit disturbed by the prior events as well, from Cloud's troubling behavior to her own racing thoughts back at the reactor. Her mind hadn't been able to shut off once since then. She felt in her heart that something wasn't quite right with Cloud or his memories of certain things, but she hoped that it was all in her own head. And then there was Cloud, himself. He'd hardly said anything either and had spent most of his time in intense concentration. Lightning knew that Gongaga and the man called Zack were still at the forefront of his mind and she knew that they would likely remain there until he solved the riddle. Although he hadn't said much, he made it a point to let her know that he wasn't shutting her out by reaching out to hold her hand. They'd sat like that for quite a while and it had made Lightning feel very content, that is, until she caught Tifa's gaze burning into their intertwined fingers, and then she just felt uncomfortable.

Yuffie seemed exhausted and had been resting her head against the window for most of the trip. Cait Sith just sat in silence as he looked out from the opposite window. He didn't say a lot and most of the time, Lightning completely forgot that he was there. He didn't really contribute very much to their journey, and she couldn't help wondering why he was tagging along, or better yet, why they were still allowing him to do so. Red had been silent for most of the trip as well, but that wasn't all that out of character for him. On the outside, he seemed calm and collected, however, if watched long enough, the occasional nervous shift would betray him. The red-furred beast would probably never admit it, but he was most likely very apprehensive about returning to his home after such a long time.

"We're here!" Barret exclaimed loudly as he brought the buggy to a halt. "We're actually here!"

The dark-skinned rebel leader was the first to exit the vehicle and the others slowly filed out behind him. The walls of the canyon surrounded them in every direction, except for the one they had just come from and a long staircase led up the side of the steep rock in front of them. The stairs stretched up to the town that was built into the side of the canyon wall, but from the ground, it looked as though they were leading straight into the heavens. The sun was beginning to retreat for the day and the clouds above them were streaked with beautiful shades of gold, tangerine, and crimson, that when reflected onto the canyon walls, made them look afire.

"Damn…" Barret awed, vocalizing the very thought that was likely running through each of their minds. "That ain't somethin' you see every day."

"It is here," Red replied as he took the lead and guided them up the stairs. He paused at the top to greet a man who was leaning lazily against one of the supports of a giant arch. The man seemed startled by the group's sudden appearance as he surveyed them curiously, before finally allowing his eyes to settle on Red. "I am home," the red-furred beast declared. "It is I, Nanaki!"

 _'_ _Nanaki?'_ Lightning wondered as she looked to Cloud to see that his eyes reflected the same confusion as hers.

"Hey, Nanaki!" the man beamed. "You're safe! Come on and say hello to Bugenhagen!" Red didn't need to be told twice, he simply nodded and then dashed past the man on guard and began to climb another staircase along the canyon wall behind him. The man watched Red disappear and then turned back in their direction. "Welcome to Cosmo Canyon. Are you familiar with this land?"

"Wooooo yeah!" Barret replied enthusiastically. "I always wanted to come here!"

"They helped me when I was on the road," Red stated as he reappeared on the stairs behind the man. "Please let them in," he added before disappeared again.

"…. Oh, is that so?" the man questioned as he looked them over again. "You helped our Nanaki? Please, come in!"

"Who is Nanaki?" Cloud finally asked.

"Nanaki is Nanaki," the man replied as he gave Cloud a perplexing look. "That is his name."

"Oh," Cloud responded. "I thought his name was Red," he whispered to the others as they proceeded past the guard.

"That was the name Hojo gave him," Tifa whispered back. "Remember? Red XIII?"

"Ahhh," Cloud replied.

"Didn't you bother to ask his real name?" Lightning scolded.

"I thought I did," Cloud answered as he scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Clearly not," Lightning sniggered.

"I'm sorry, my mind was on something else at the time," Cloud reminded her.

"You asked," Tifa inserted, "but he didn't tell us."

"That's right!" Cloud replied with a laugh. "See... I did ask," he added as he nudged Lightning's arm playfully.

"Fair enough," she shrugged. "So, what is the plan now?" she asked as she looked to the others.

"Well," Cloud began, "Red, I mean… Nanaki, has gone to visit someone… There isn't much for us to do until he comes back. And it'll be dark soon, so we'll just rest here for the night. Use the time to explore the town, check out the weapons and materia, and learn what you can about the place…. Oh… and keep an eye out for Sephiroth," he added. "He wasn't at Gongaga, so he could be here."

The group nodded in unison and then each of them seemed to disperse into a different direction. Lightning remained behind with Cloud as she watched her comrades disappear to various parts of the town. Her eyes paused on the flower girl, who had been acting out of character all day long and followed her over to the fire where she sank to the ground to stare at the flames. Cloud gently touched her arm and Lightning jumped slightly as if she had just been caught in the act of doing something she wasn't supposed to.

"Hey, I'm gonna go check out the weapons… you wanna go?" he asked.

"Not this time," she replied as her eyes made their way back over to the flower girl. "I think I'm gonna rest for a while."

"Is everything okay?" he asked with a hint of concern in his eyes.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Just a little tired."

"Oh, okay," he replied as he gently kissed her forehead. "Stay out of trouble."

"I will," she promised, and with that, he disappeared up the stairs and into an opening in the canyon wall.

Lightning turned back to the flower girl who was still sat beside the fire and began heading in her direction. She had no idea what she was going to say to Aeris once she got there, but she knew something was bothering her and she was determined to get it out of her. She was about half way there when something caught her eye and a plan illuminated in her mind like a bright light bulb, and so she veered off her original path to find herself in a small room that was built into the base of the canyon wall.

"What can I do for you?" an elderly man asked as she approached the counter.

 _'_ _What would Aeris go for?'_ she wondered as she surveyed the options displayed behind the man.

"Can I just get a bottle of wine?" she finally decided.

"What kind?" the man asked.

"Um…" Lightning shrugged her shoulders. Wine was never her sort of drink, but Serah had drank it on occasion, so she figured that Aeris would probably enjoy it too. "Red, I guess?"

"Here's a bottle of our very best," the man smiled as he opened a bottle filled with red liquid and then passed it to her. "That'll be 40 gil."

"Thanks," she mumbled as she dug through her pockets and retrieved a handful of money. "Keep the change," she added as she handed it over and then headed back outside, praying that Aeris was still alone by the fire.

The flower girl was indeed where Lightning had last seen her, but she wasn't completely alone anymore. There were a few villagers that had joined around the large flame, but she didn't see how their presence would affect anything. She slowly approached and took a seat next to Aeris, who looked up in confusion at her sudden appearance. It was at this moment that Lightning realized just how out of place her presence probably was to Aeris. After all, the two of them hadn't had a one on one conversation in ages. It was hard to recall when exactly the last time was, but the only answer that Lightning kept arriving at was Kalm.

"What a day…" Lightning sighed as she took a small drink from the bottle and then extended it to Aeris, who shook her head. Lightning shrugged and then took another sip. She hadn't expected Aeris to bite at her first attempt anyway. "Are you okay?" she asked outright. "You seem a little off."

"I'm fine," Aeris replied. "Just a little tired."

"If I'm not mistaken, that was the same exact same line I just gave to Cloud to make him go away," Lightning laughed, causing Aeris to blush.

"I-I didn't mean it like that," she stammered defensively.

"No, it's okay," Lightning replied as she began to get up. "I'll go."

"No," Aeris said. "I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean it like that. Please stay."

Lightning didn't say anything, but lowered herself back onto the ground, took another sip of the wine, and then sat the bottle on the ground between the two of them. Aeris looked at it hesitantly for a few moments before picking it up and taking a large drink from it. She pulled the bottle away from her mouth and looked at it with a peculiar expression before setting it back down between them.

"First time?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah," Aeris replied. "It's good."

"Drink as much as you'd like," she offered. "It's good for calming your nerves and helping you unwind after a tough day."

Aeris looked down at the bottle again curiously before picking it up again for another drink. The two sat in silence for a while staring at the flame as Aeris continued to sip from the bottle. Finally, she let out a heavy sigh and then asked, "Light… you think that everything happens for a reason?"

"I don't know," Lightning answered honestly. "If you had asked me that a year ago, I would have said 'no way', but now…" she continued as she reflected on her time as a l'Cie and then being pulled into this world. "…. Maybe there really is a grand master plan for everything."

"Hmmm…" Aeris acknowledged as she took another sip. Silence hung in the air between them for a few more minutes before the flower girl finally spoke again. "I knew him."

"Hmm?" Lightning asked in confusion as her head turned to stare at the brunette.

"Zack," she clarified. "He… he was my first boyfriend… he died a few months ago… he went on a mission for Shinra and never came back."

"How do you know he's dead?" Lightning inquired.

"Because I'm an Ancient," she sighed. "I felt it."

"Why didn't you say anything back there?" Lightning asked. "To his parents."

"Because I couldn't face the questions they would have asked," she answered truthfully. "I don't know how he died or where he was when he died… just that he died."

"I'm sorry," Lightning replied sincerely. "I understand why you didn't say anything. I probably wouldn't have been able to either."

"…. I loved him," she whispered. "I was so young then, but it was real… at least for me it was. He said goodbye before going on a mission and he never came back… but that was years ago. At first, I thought that something had happened to him, but I would have known if he'd been killed. Then I got to thinking that maybe he just didn't come back because he didn't want me anymore… but it was confusing because he wasn't the type of person to just abandon someone. I was depressed for a long time… I'd lost the man I'd fallen in love with without so much as an explanation… and then a few months ago…. I felt it when he died…. now, I guess I'll never know what kept him away. And today… meeting the parents of the man I loved… and not being able to tell them the truth… it was just too much. Of all the places we could have ended up, why did it have to be his house?"

"I'm sorry," Lightning repeated. This wasn't quite what she had expected to hear from the flower girl when she had gone fishing for answers and she almost wished that she'd left it alone because all she'd seemed to have done is further depress the poor girl.

"It's okay," she sighed. "I think I'm gonna head to the inn and get some rest."

"Okay," Lightning nodded. "It would probably do you some good."

"Hey Light," she asked as she stood up and wobbled slightly from the wine. "Could we keep this conversation between the two of us? I-uh… it's just sort of personal and I don't think I want the others asking a bunch of questions about it… especially Cloud... he seems a bit off right now and I don't want to bother him."

"Sure," Lightning agreed. Aeris gave her a trademark smile and began to walk away. "…Aeris," she called after her. "…. Did Zack and Cloud know each other? Did Zack ever mention him?"

"No… I don't think so," Aeris replied with a shake of her head. "Or if he did, he never said."

"Hmm..." Lightning hummed and then Aeris retreated from the warmth of the fire in search of the inn.

She continued to stare at the flames for what felt like ages as she reflected on the days events. After speaking with Aeris, she almost felt bad about chasing Cloud down earlier and demanding to know his relationship to Zack. If they had known each other, surely Aeris would have been aware. The flower girl had been so open with her tonight and so she saw no reason why she would have withheld information if she'd known something. Maybe Cloud really didn't know the man after all. Maybe it was just the stress of the journey beginning to mess with his mind a bit and made him believe that he should. The journey was beginning to weigh heavily on them all, including her, so it would be unfair to assume Cloud was the exception just because he was their leader.

As she took a long drink from the bottle, she tilted her head back and looked at the sky. The sun was now gone and the canvas above her had been repainted a beautiful shade of indigo and speckled with the first stars of the night. The cool night's air was beginning to settle in and with it, more people began to join her around the warmth of the fire. She wondered where the others had gone or what they were possibly doing at that very moment. She hadn't seen anyone save for Aeris in quite some time now, and she'd wondered if they'd all taken Cloud up on his suggestion to rest.

"Light," a voice called from behind and she turned her head to see Cloud standing at the bottom of the rocks. "Where is everyone?"

"Aeris has gone to rest… I'm not sure about everyone else," she answered honestly.

"Oh… okay," he replied. "Red has invited us to meet his grandfather. Would you like to go?"

"Uh… sure," she nodded as she got to her feet and made her way from the rocky platform to meet him.

"You okay?" he asked as his eyes fell upon the nearly empty bottle of wine in her hand.

"Yeah," she nodded as she searched for a place to dispose of it. "Believe it or not, Aeris actually drank most of this."

"Who'd have thought," he chuckled as he began to lead them past a few market stands, then up the side of the canyon wall and into one of the openings in the side.

"Is this whole place built into the canyon?" Lightning wondered aloud as they walked through the weapons shop and up set of wobbly wooden steps.

"Pretty much," Cloud nodded as he guided them back outside to yet another staircase that hugged the canyon wall.

"Wonder where that leads?" Lightning asked as they stopped next to a tall ladder that was positioned beside a large steel door that appeared to be sealed closed.

"Who knows," Cloud replied as he began ascending. "We could always ask Red later."

"You mean Nanaki?" she corrected as she grabbed a rung of the ladder and followed him up. "Are you ever going to call him by his real name?"

"If we wanted us to call him that, wouldn't he have just told us his real name?" Cloud questioned.

"I guess you have a point," she agreed as she climbed higher. "…. Wow!"

The top of the ladder led back into the night air and when Lightning climbed to her feet, she'd never met such a beautiful sight of the night's sky. The house that Cloud had led her to was built onto the highest point of the rocky canyon and from here, it felt as though she could reach out and touch the stars above her. She'd seen stars before, but never had she seen them quite like this. The one's seen from Cocoon had been an illusion created by the Fal'Cie and the real one's that were visible from pulse were dimmed significantly by the light of her artificial home that hung in the sky. Once away from Midgar, they were pretty visible from nearly anywhere on this planet, but from here, where she stood on the peak, it felt as though she were actually a part of them.

"Pretty isn't it?" Cloud asked as he wrapped his arms around her from behind in a protective, yet loving embrace.

"I've never seen anything like it," she admitted, allowing herself to sink into his warmth. "We didn't have this on Cocoon. I mean, we did, but it wasn't real. But seeing it like this, the real thing… it just seems so…"

"Big," he finished her thought.

"Yeah," she agreed. "I've never felt so small in my life…"

"I know," he replied and then silence filled the space around them as they continued to stare up at the heavens wrapped up in each other's warmth.

"Hey, Cloud," she finally asked.

"Hmm?"

"…. Do you think that Cocoon and Pulse could be out there somewhere?" she asked hopefully as she surveyed the millions of tiny lights in the sky and wondered if her beloved home could possibly be one of them.

"I'm sure it is," he replied, "and we'll find a way there… together."

"Hey, are you two coming?" Red asked as he stuck his head out from the front door of the large house behind them. "My grandfather is waiting."

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. "Be right there."

"Cloud, Lightning, this is my grandfather, Bugen," Red introduced them as they filed into the house to meet a very old man sitting cross legged on a large, green ball that somehow hovered above the ground. His head was bald, save for a small patch of white hair on the back that was collected loosely at the base of his neck. The same white hair covered the bottom portion of his face and trailed down to end at the center of his chest. He wore a navy-blue robe, which seemed to be normal attire for people in the canyon and his eyes were decorated by dark sunglasses, which suggested that he might possibly have lost his sight at some point. "He is incredible. He knows everything," Red continued.

"Ho Ho Hoooo!" Bugen exclaimed. "I hear that you looked after Nanaki. Nanaki is still a child, you see."

"What?" Lightning gasped as her eyes shot over to the red-furred beast that quite possibly possessed more maturity than anyone she'd ever met.

"Please stop, grandfather. I'm 48," Red defended.

"Ho Ho Hoooo," Bugen laughed. "Nanaki's tribe has incredible longevity. So, you see his 48 years would only be equivalent to a 15 or 16-year-old in human reckoning."

"15 or 16!?" Cloud questioned, stealing Lightning's thoughts completely.

"He's quiet and very deep," Bugen continued. "You thought he was an adult?"

"…. Grandfather, I want to be an adult," Red expressed. "I want to grow up and to be able to protect you and the village."

"Ho Ho Hoooo, no Nananki. You can't stand on your own yet," Bugen replied. "To do that would destroy you in the long run. Reaching up into the heavens, threatening to snatch the very stars from the great city of Midgar. You've seen it, haven't you?" Red and the others gave him a perplexed look and he let out a soft chuckle. "Well, that was a bad example. Looking up too much makes you lose perspective. When it's time for the planet to die, you'll understand that you know absolutely nothing."

"…When the Planet dies?" Cloud questioned in confusion.

"Ho Ho Hoooo," Bugen replied. "It may be tomorrow, or 100 years from now… but its not long off."

"How do you know this?" Cloud asked.

"I hear the cries of the planet," Bugen informed him and as if on command, a soft sound echoed throughout the house.

"What's that?" Cloud asked as his eyes darted around the room.

"The sounds of the stars in the heavens," Bugen explained. "While this goes on, planets are born, and die."

"What's that?" Cloud questioned again as the soft sound was replaced by a higher pitched noise that resembled a cry.

"That was a scream from the planet," Bugen said as he looked at each of them with a very serious expression on his face. "Didn't you hear it? As if to say… I hurt, I suffer…"

"They have a journey to save the planet," Red spoke up. "Would you mind showing them your apparatus?"

"Ho Ho Hoooo. To save the planet? Ho Ho Hoooo," Bugen questioned and then shook his head as if Red had just suggested the impossible. "But, then again, I guess it wouldn't hurt to show them. Well if you're ready, then let's begin," he continued as he ushered them through a door that led to a room filled with a lot of odd scientific instruments. "Stand there," he commanded as he pointed to a circular platform in the center of the room.

Lightning, Cloud, and Red did as they were instructed while Bugen took his place next to a small control panel. He flipped a switch and the platform began to rise. The ceiling above them split apart and then the four of them were raised into a cerulean dome, consisting of the sun, planets, and stars. Lightning looked on in awe as the planets began to orbit around the sun and the stars in the distance began to twinkle. She had never in her life seen anything quite like it.

As naïve as it sounded, she'd never known that life could extend past Cocoon and Pulse. The Fal'Cie had raised and trained the people in a way that didn't give them a reason to look for it elsewhere. If she hadn't woken up on a foreign planet, she would have never believed that such a place existed. But to see it all laid out in front of her now: the planets, their moons, the stars… an entire universe that seemed so perfectly designed, how could there not be so much more potential for life out there? Maybe it even extended far past Pulse and this planet? Maybe there were thousands of other planets out there with the same potential for life. Maybe they were all filled with humans like she and Cloud, or maybe they were filled with creatures like Red, or perhaps something else entirely. Could there be a connection to the design of this life? Could the people of this planet and the people of her own have a common ancestor or perhaps had been created using a similar genetic structure.

"This is my laboratory," Bugen announced. "All the workings of space are entered into this 3D Holographic System.

"This is impressive," Cloud praised as he reached out and touched a rock that was travelling past him.

"Ho Ho Hooo. Yes, it is something, isn't it?" Bugen smiled proudly. "We'll lets get to the subject," he added as he floated over to a planet that appeared to be full of life, which Lightning could only assume represented the planet they were on. "Eventually all humans die, but what happens after they die? The body decomposes and returns to the planet. That much everyone knows. What about their consciousness, their hearts and their souls?"

Bugenhagen paused and looked from Cloud to Lightning, awaiting their answer, and when they didn't respond, he continued speaking, "The soul returns to the planet. And not just those of humans, but everything on this planet. In fact, all living things in the universe, are the same. The spirits that return to the planet, merge with one another and roam the planet. They roam, converge, and divide, becoming a swell, called the 'Lifestream'."

"Lifestream?" Lightning repeated.

"Lifestream… In other words, a path of energy of the souls roaming the planet," Bugen clarified. "'Spirit Energy' is a word that you should never forget. A new life… children are blessed with Spirit Energy and are brought into the world. Then, the time comes when they die and once again return to the planet… of course there are exceptions, but this is the way of the world. I've digressed, but you'll better understand if you watch this," he added as he touched the planet in front of him which began to glow.

A human and a tree appeared at the very top of the sphere. They remained there for a few seconds before crumbling into thousands of tiny pink and yellow specks. The tiny particles circled the planet once before finally reforming on the other side. Lightning watched as the whole planet illuminated from the light of millions of these tiny particles as they circled and swirled around it, forming new life and then recycling that energy once that life had run its course. She couldn't help but wonder if Cocoon, or rather Pulse, worked the same way.

"Spirit Energy is the source of life for trees, birds, and humans… and not only living things. It makes it possible to form planets… and If that energy were to disappear," Bugen continued as he held out a hand and drew the lights away from the planet. He didn't finish his train of thought, but he didn't have to. As soon as the last speck of light left the planet, it suddenly turned black and crumbled. "…. These are the basics of the Study of Planet Life."

"So, if Spirit Energy disappears, our planet will die," Cloud verified.

"Ho Ho Hoooo. Spirit Energy is efficient BECAUSE it exists within nature," Bugen answered. "When Spirit Energy is forcefully extracted, and manufactured, it can't accomplish its true purpose."

"You're talking about Mako energy, right?" Cloud asked.

"Everyday Mako reactors suck up Spirit Energy, diminishing it," Bugen went on. "Spirit Energy is compressed in reactors and processed into Mako energy. All living things are being used up and thrown away. In other words, Mako energy will only destroy the planet…."

"Bugen," Lightning began. "That energy before, circling the planet, you called it the Lifestream. Does every planet have one?"

"It is absolutely necessary for life," Bugen nodded. "A planet cannot exist without it."

"When we were watching it before, it seemed balanced," she went on. "Each death resulted in a new life somewhere else."

"That is correct," he nodded again. "There has to be balance for the planet to remain healthy. Without it, the planet begins to die."

"And what would happen if the Spirit Energy should be severely disrupted?" she asked. "For example, if there was a tragedy so great that it eliminated most or all of the life at once," she added as she reflected back to the Fal'Cie's plan to destroy Cocoon by smashing it into Pulse. It would have killed everyone inhabiting the artificial small moon and the destruction to the planet would have been so catastrophic that it would have wiped out most of the life below as well.

"That would most certainly result in the death of the planet," he replied.

That's what the Fal'Cie had been trying to do all along. They had been aware of Pulse's Lifestream and what would happen should they disrupt it. They wanted to destroy the balance of Spirit Energy because they thought it would summon 'the maker', if there was such a thing. They were dissatisfied with their role in all of it. They wanted another shot; to be reborn as something else and believed that summoning a god was their answer. "Bugen," she began again, "how do these planets get their Spirit Energy in the first place?"

"It is unknown," he replied. "Some believe that it's a god or perhaps many gods that grant the planets this energy, but that may be something we'll never know for sure."

 _'_ _The Fal'Cie sure seemed to think so,'_ she thought bitterly. _'They were so confident that they were willing to sacrifice Pulse in order to find out for sure. But what if have they had been wrong? What would have happened to all that Spirit Energy…? Would it have died with the Planet? And what about my Spirit Energy now that I'm no longer part of Pulse?'_

"Before… when you were talking about the life cycle and returning to the planet, you mentioned that there were exceptions… what did you mean by that?" she asked.

"Ho Ho Hoooo. It's all theory, of course, but an exception could possibly be described as Spirit Energy that does not originally belong to the planet."

"So, someone from another planet, then," she clarified, causing Cloud to look at her with a confused expression. "Hypothetically, if someone did travel here from another planet and then died here, what would happen to their Spirit Energy?"

"It's hard to say," Bugen replied as he scratched his beard. "Without being an original part of the planet's Lifestream, they couldn't return to it… and being away from their own, they couldn't return there either. They'd most likely be doomed to roam the darkness, never to be reborn."

"Bugen… What is this thing?" Cloud asked in an attempt to redirect the topic onto something else. He was pointing to a black matter that hung in the corner of the universe.

"Ho Ho Hoooo. That is called a 'Black Hole'," Bugen replied. "It's a region of space, having a gravitational pull so intense that no matter can escape it," he added as he floated closer and then lightly nudged a small rock in it's direction. The stone floated closer to the dark matter and then suddenly disappeared.

"Where did it go?" Cloud asked.

"Ho Ho Hoooo. No one knows," Bugen replied. "It's a force so strong that nothing, not even light can escape its clutches. It's unsure what happens to the object once its inside. Some theorize that the gravitational force simply destroys the object. Others argue that the Black Hole serves as a Portal to other sections of the universe. And then there is the Chaos Theory…"

"Chaos Theory?" Lightning questioned.

"There are scientists out there that believe this is where the Chaos originated from," Bugen went on. "It's a power so strong that it consumes anything it touches, not unlike our Black Hole here. Many believe that the Black Hole is either the Chaos itself or a gateway into the realm of Chaos. It is believed that one day, the Chaos will expand from our Black Hole here and will consume this universe."

Something seemed eerily familiar about this explanation, but Lightning couldn't figure out why.

"Those are the scientific explanations," Bugen continued. "There are myths as well."

"Myths?" she questioned.

"Ho Ho Hooo. Our ancestors seemed to believe that the Black Hole led into an Unseen Realm," he replied. "They believed that this Realm housed a goddess and this being was the one responsible for creating and maintaining the Spirit Energies of all of the Planet's Lifestreams. Other legends suggest this may have been where the 'Jenova' specimen came from thousands of years ago… but these are all legends and folk lore, of course. There is no scientific evidence to back up any of these claims."

"Hmm…" Lightning acknowledged as she continued to stare at the ominous dark matter.

"Ho Ho Hoooo. It's getting late," Bugen exclaimed as he lowered the platform back onto the lower level. "We should all get some rest."

"I'll be staying with grandfather tonight," Red informed them. "You two can stay at the Shildra Inn. Tell the Inn Keeper that you are friends of mine and you won't be charged."

Lighting and Cloud both nodded and then exited the house. The air was pretty cold now that the sun had been gone for a few hours. Lightning was unsure what time it was, but she knew that it was very late because the town below was completely silent, save for the crackling of the never-ending fire. Her thoughts were confirmed as they passed through the cave again and noted the closed weapons shop and the deserted halls. It had seemed that everyone had retreated into their homes for the night and she and Cloud were the only two remaining.

"Do you want to go back to the Inn?" Cloud asked.

"I'm not really tired," she admitted. "I think I'm going to sit by the fire for a bit."

"Then I'll join you," he responded.

"You don't have to, if you're tired," she replied.

"I want to," he smiled. "Care for a drink?" he asked as he pointed to the Pub, which still appeared to be open.

"Sure," she nodded.

"Okay, then I'll be right back," he said before disappearing into the small establishment. He returned a few minutes later carrying a large bottle of alcohol and a blanket. "They were just about to close for the night," he said as they walked to the fire and he laid the blanket on the ground for them to sit upon.

"That's lucky," she chuckled. "What'd you get?"

"Apparently, its named after the Cosmo Candle," he informed her as he gestured to the large fire in front of them. "The drink is supposed to be as famous as this fire," he went on. "The barkeep insisted that I take a bottle since we helped Red on the road."

"That was nice of him," she replied as she took the bottle from him and took a sip. The liquid had a peculiar taste but was actually quite pleasant. Most notable though was the warming sensation that it had on her body, which was very welcome now that it was quite cool out. She passed the bottle to Cloud, who sipped as well. He seemed quite fond of the liquid as well because he immediately took another drink before passing it back. "Do you think Red will stay here?" she asked as she took another sip.

"I think so," he replied. "He's said all along that he would only follow us to this point. He seems set on proving himself to his grandfather and protecting the village."

"I guess you're right," she agreed as she took another drink. "This stuff's pretty strong," she added as she passed it back.

"Feeling it already?" he joked.

"A bit," she admitted.

"You were drinking before though," he reminded her.

"That's true," she realized, "but its been a little while."

"Hmm," he hummed as he took another sip.

"Where are we headed next?" she questioned.

Cloud paused for a second and then took another long swig from the bottle before finally muttering, "Nibelheim."

"Your hometown?"

"Yeah, or at least it was," he went on. "There's nothing left of it, but we have to cross Mt. Nibel to reach Wutai and Rocket Town… you're right, this stuff _is_ strong," he added as he looked at the bottle with interest. "Wonder what the percentage is?"

"The taste is deceiving, isn't it?" she laughed.

Cloud placed the bottle on the ground beside him and then put his arm around her. She allowed herself to sink into his embrace as the two of them sat in silence watching the flames dance about in the night. It may have had something to do with the alcohol, the cracking fire, or perhaps the millions of stars above, but Lightning had never felt so content or happy as she sat beside Cloud on this cool night. She looked up to meet his gaze and he turned his toward her as if his mind had been on the same track. Their matching blue eyes glowed through the darkness for a moment before they finally closed the distance and allowed their lips to meet.

They remained like that for a few moments, enjoying the gentle taste of the other's lips, but soon, Lightning began to crave more, and their kisses became deeper and more passionate. They sank back onto the blanket, their lips never parting once, and his hand found its way beneath her white top coat and onto the bare skin underneath. His touch sent goosebumps erupting all over her body and she pulled him closer as if to tell him not to stop. As if he had been reading her thoughts, his hand trailed down and began caressing her inner thigh and Lightning felt as though she might explode in ecstasy as she secretly tried to will his hand higher.

She pushed him onto his back and then swung her legs over his body to straddle him as she lowered her head and began trailing kisses down his neck and onto his collarbone. The stiff throbbing organ beneath her thigh told her that her mako-eyed lover was craving her just as deeply as she was craving him and she so desired to satisfy that hunger. Cloud's hands found the buckles of her white top-coat, quickly unfastened them and then tossed the garment aside before returning them to the bare skin of her back.

They continued to kiss passionately as Lightning rocked her hips slightly to massage the stiff bulge beneath her and then Cloud tightened his grip on her and gently flipped her onto her back, positioning himself between her legs. Lightning began fumbling with the buckles of his uniform and then he quickly unfastened his pauldron and tossed it aside. It landed with a loud clank as it knocked over the bottle of alcohol and the remaining liquid covered the ground beside them. Cloud paused and looked at the overturned bottle for a moment, before returning his gaze to Lightning. He lowered his face to hers and then kissed her gently on the forehead before retreating to his previous spot beside her.

"What's wrong?" she questioned as she quickly sat up. "Don't you want to-"

"Of course, I do," he replied. "More than you will ever know… but not like this," he added as he gestured to the bottle on the ground. "This isn't how our first time should go. I love you and I'm sure that when it happens it will be perfect, but don't want the alcohol to be in control when it does."

Lightning remained silent but gave a simple nod. Despite her disappointment, she understood where he was coming from. She'd never had a boyfriend before, so this would have been her very first time. The alcohol had given her much more courage than she would have possessed without it, and while she appreciated the fact that it had done so well at easing her nerves, she would have preferred to experience every terrifying, yet exciting moment without her mind and body being influenced by something else other than her own desires.

"Cloud…" she began as she retrieved her top coat and wrapped it around her body. "Have you ever... I mean, have you done this-"

"No," he replied as if to read her mind. "…You?" he added on hesitantly as if he were afraid of what her answer might be.

"No," she echoed with a slight shake of her head.

He gave her a slight smile of relief and then pulled her close to kiss her forehead again. She knew that her answer probably wouldn't have changed anything between them if it had been the other way, but she could tell that Cloud was relieved that the nervousness of making love for the first time wouldn't be his to bear alone.

"It's getting pretty late… wanna call it a night?" he asked.

"It may be too late for the Inn," she replied.

"We can stay here, then," he suggested as he straightened the blanket behind them before lying back on it and then gently pulling her down into his protective embrace.

They laid there for a while, gazing at the starry skies above while Lightning enjoyed the comfort of the familiar heartbeat beneath her ear and the delicate tugs at her scalp as Cloud gently ran his hands through her hair. It was moments like this that made her feel truly loved. Despite her earlier disappointment in the way things had abruptly ended between the two of them, she was now thankful that it had. She could have allowed the alcohol and her lust to see her through, but that wouldn't have been truly making love. He deserved better than that. But where she and Cloud were now, what they were doing, how they felt… this was true love… and the next time that the two of them crossed that line again, it would be too.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Less than a week on the upload time! Wooo hooo, go me! Seriously though, I am quite proud of myself here lol. I don't really have a whole lot to say on this one expect don't go too hard on me for that scene at the end. Obviously as a first-time writer, I have no experience writing that sort of thing… and well, I hope it wasn't horrible. It wasn't quite the lemon that I'd mentioned before, but I wanted to test the waters with it and see how that type of thing goes over with you all. Hopefully, well. If not, then I don't want to hear about it lol. It's an extremely difficult thing to write and well, I don't think my self-esteem could handle that sort of rejection *laughs nervously* Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'm really excited to keep this going. I'm hoping that my update times can remain reasonable and I can get this story wrapped up so I can move on to the next :)**

 **As always, a mega thanks to Wolf for reading over this thing and assuring me that what I wrote wasn't completely awful. Another big thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. Make sure to keep feeding my review addiction… it really is the best motivation, and I'll need it after this one lol.**

 **Love you all,**

 **Lady A**


	33. Chapter 32: What Haunts Our Dreams

**Chapter 32 - What Haunts Our Dreams **

A smile formed upon his lips and Cloud inhaled deeply as reality slowly settled in around him once again. His eyes remained sealed as he laid there, trying his very best to savor every second of this moment for as long as he possible could. The woman that draped across his chest still slept soundly and appeared to be undisturbed by the soft rise and fall of his chest. His left arm was still wrapped around her protectively, just as it had been when they'd fallen asleep the night before, and his free hand delicately covered the fingers that now resting upon his abdomen. This moment was absolute perfection to him and he would have given just about anything to remain within it forever.

He opened his eyes to see that the sun was now beginning to peek over the tall cliffs of the canyon and had once again painted them a brilliant shade of orange. The villagers could be heard stirring nearby as they began to make their way from their homes in order to go about their day to day business, and Cloud knew that it would only be a matter of time before the others in his party woke as well. He wasn't quite sure what the day held in store for them, but he counted on it to be a gloomy one as the group would most likely be saying farewell to a friend and valued member of their group. Sighing heavily, he decided to shake that thought away and replace it with the previous happier one that involved the woman sleeping in his arms.

She looked so different as she slept. Younger, innocent... as if the years of battle had somehow been erased overnight. He'd never seen such beauty in all of his life. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead and she furrowed her eyebrows slightly at his touch but didn't rouse. He hated the thought of waking her when she seemed to be sleeping so well, but he knew that it was time since the town was beginning to become lively around them once again. He gently shook her shoulder, but she still didn't wake so he tried again. The pinkette remained asleep but winced slightly and then mumbled something.

"….Caius..."

 _'Caius?'_ he wondered as he stared at her in confusion. _'Who's Caius?'_

His eyes burned into her for a few more moments, half expecting her to sit up and explain herself, but she remained silent as she continued to sleep. He was very curious as to who this 'Caius' individual could be. She'd never mentioned the name before and he began wondering if the man had perhaps been someone she'd left behind on Cocoon. Was he someone special to her? Someone she had feelings for? A boyfriend, perhaps? Someone that she'd began a relationship only for it to come to a screeching halt when she'd become a l'Cie?

Cloud continued to look at her expectantly, hoping that she would say something, anything else to clear the rapidly multiplying fears and insecurities from his mind, but the pinkette remained silent. Cloud lightly shook her shoulder once again, but she simply furrowed her eyebrows as she had before and didn't rouse from her slumber. He sat up and rolled her over onto her back in the hopes that the movement would be enough to wake her, but her eyes still wouldn't separate. He sat quietly for a few moments beside the sleeping woman pondering what he'd say to her when she finally did wake. Would he bring up the name that she'd muttered as she slept? Did he have the courage to demand an explanation? Would she give one, and if so, would she be honest about it?

Huffing in annoyance, he adverted his eyes away from her and allowed them to land on the fire still blazing in front of them. He was being silly. Just because Lightning had whispered a man's name while she slept didn't mean that she had been involved with him. That was an unfair accusation on his part and it most certainly didn't mean that she wanted this other man. She loved him, Cloud. She told him as much and had been proving it all along. She wouldn't have expressed those feelings if she'd had them for someone else, right? No, Lightning wasn't that sort of person. She would never do something like that… she just wouldn't… not unless she truly thought that she'd never make it back home, that is.

Cloud shook his head violently in attempt to rid himself of the thoughts that were beginning to plague him like a disease, but they just wouldn't relent. His eyes wandered over to the Inn to see Tifa and Barret appear from the entrance. Tifa gave him a slight wave to acknowledge his presence and Cloud nodded back and began to rise to meet his comrades. He hated the thought of leaving Lightning here alone, but he needed to do something to free himself from his consuming thoughts. Before he'd fully gotten to his feet, the Pinkette stirred slightly and he paused to see if she'd finally wake. Instead of her eyes opening like he'd anticipated, they fluttered slightly and then she gasped as if something had startled her.

Dropping to his knees once again, he stared at her with a mixture of confusion and worry, as he awaited what would happen next. She winced slightly, and Cloud placed his hands on her shoulders in preparation to shake her awake, but as soon as his hands contact, she let out a pained cry causing him to immediately retract. Something was hurting her! He was unsure what to do or how to help her and he felt the sweat begin to form on his brow as fear began to settle in. The pinkette remained still for a moment more and the suddenly began to cough violently as though she were choking.

"Lightning!" he panicked as he quickly lifted her from her back in attempt to clear her airway of a possible obstruction. "Lightning… wake up! SOMEONE HELP!"

In a flash, Barret, Tifa, and half of the townspeople had surrounded them. Tifa and Barret dropped to his level, ready to assist with their comrade, but no sooner had they arrived, the Pinkette snapped out of her fit and her eyes shot wide open. Her face had a mixture of confusion and horror painted upon it as her eyes found Cloud, then shifted to Tifa and Barret, before finally landing on the villagers that were stood around watching the spectacle.

"Light," Cloud sighed in relief. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes shifted back to him and though she tried to hide it, they were still full of terror. "Y-Yeah," she stammered. "Sorry… bad dream."

"Bad dream?" he repeated skeptically.

Lightning didn't say a word but allowed her head to fall between her knees as she attempted to catch her breath and calm her anxious body that was now trembling uncontrollably. Cloud was at a loss and he couldn't seem to find the words for her, so he gently placed his hand on her back and began rubbing in small circles in hopes that it would help settle her. It was hard to see her so upset like this. She wasn't the type to exhibit her emotions and weaknesses, no matter how badly something bothered her; and for this to happen so openly, whatever had triggered it must have been traumatic.

Cloud felt himself begin to shake with anger as he reflected on the name she had mumbled in her sleep. _Caius._ Any thought of her being romantically involved with this man had quickly faded and now seemed absolutely ludicrous. This man had obviously hurt her at some point. That much was evident from the reaction of the terrified woman that he was now trying unsuccessfully to calm.

"Move along," Tifa commanded in annoyance to the crowd of villagers, causing him to look up. "Give her some space!"

At her words, the townspeople hesitantly began to retreat back to their business, leaving the four of them in peace.

"You okay, Pinky?" Barret addressed.

Lightning didn't raise her head to meet his gaze, but simply nodded from between her knees.

"You havin' that dream again?" he pressed.

Lightning remained silent, but Cloud looked up at the dark-skinned man in confusion.

"What dream?" he questioned.

"She had a dream like this back in the prison," Barret explained. "Got her all worked up then, too."

"What was it about?" Cloud demanded as he looked from Barret to Lightning and then back again.

When Lightning remained silent, Barret continued, "I don't really know. She said that she keeps having it though. She mentioned fightin' with a man…"

"Caius?" Cloud guessed, causing Lightning to raise her head and fix her confused eyes upon him. "Is that who you're fighting?"

"Y-Yeah," she nodded.

"This dream is always the same?" he questioned, and she nodded again. "What happened?"

"I-uh…" she began. "I don't really know. The whole thing is broken except for that part…. I'm fighting with this man, but I don't know who he is or why I'm fighting him…. And then he…. he….."

"What does he do?" he asked.

"….He kills me," she finally whispered after a moment of silence. "….or at least I think so," she went on as her hand found the invisible wound on her head and rubbed it gently. "I can still feel it."

That explained the cry she'd let out before but offered no insight into the choking fit that she went into just before waking up. He looked to Barret for further explanation, but the dark-skinned man looked as though he didn't know anymore at this point than Cloud did. His gaze shifted to Tifa who was staring at Lightning with a disturbed expression upon her face, indicating that this was the first time she was hearing all of this as well.

"What is the last thing you remember?" he tried again. "Before you wake up."

"I die," she repeated. "…. I'm swallowed by this…. black smoke. I'm paralyzed, I can't move at all….and the smoke, it covers me and it fills my lungs. I try to cough it out, but I can't. It pulls me down… it takes me away."

"That's terrible," Tifa replied as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth.

"Do you remember anything else?" Cloud pressed. Lightning briefly returned her gaze to him and shook her head slightly before turning it away again. She acted fast, but not fast enough for him to miss that conflicted look in her eyes. There was more, but she wasn't saying. She was hiding something. "Could you excuse us for a minute?" he addressed Tifa and Barret. The two of them nodded and then rose from their spots and then began walking back to the Inn, no doubt to tell the others what had just happened. "Light… I'm here. It's just you and me. Please talk to me."

Lightning returned her gaze to him and he was once again met with the same troubled expression as before, but this time, she seemed even more conflicted, almost as if she was unsure whether or not to trust him with whatever it was that she was holding inside. Cloud felt a little wounded at her hesitance, and she must have picked up on this because she let out a heavy sigh and then lowered her head to rest on her knees again.

"….It's Serah," she finally admitted, causing him to stare at her in confusion.

"Serah?" he repeated. What did her sister have to do with anything?

"In my dream," she clarified. "I see her die."

"Are you sure?" he questioned.

"Yes," she went on. "While I was fighting that man…Caius… I had a vision and I saw it. I saw her die…"

"It was just a dream," he assured her. "I'm sure your sister is fine."

"Hmm…" she nodded as her head sank lower into her knees.

Cloud didn't know what to say to her. It was obvious the dream had shaken her up quite a bit and he wasn't quite sure what to say or do to pull her out of this. We wanted to offer reassurance that her sister was fine, but there was no way of knowing that for sure. Without knowing where exactly her home was or how to get there, it was quite possible that they might never know for sure, but he would never tell Lightning that even though he was sure she realized it already.

It was hard for him to make sense of this recurring dream of hers without actually seeing it for himself. He could only go by what she was telling him and it was difficult to know whether she was accidentally missing parts of the story as she recalled it or intentionally omitting details that were difficult to discuss, however, it was clear that she didn't quite understand it herself. Cloud knew that until that moment of enlightenment came for her, he wouldn't understand either, but that still didn't stop his mind from running through the possibilities and searching for an answer. Could this whole thing really be just a dream, or was it perhaps her reality? Was it possible that it was a premonition, or could it be a suppressed memory that now haunted her dreams? She had no recollection of how she'd arrived on this planet, and he wondered if this dream or memory could this have had something to do with it.

"….Light," he asked, causing her to look up at him once more. "What is the last thing you remember before you woke up here?"

"Hmm," she acknowledged. "I've told you this before. We had just saved Cocoon. I remember staring up at my home, suspended by the crystal pillar that Fang and Vanille had created."

"And your sister was there?" he queried.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I gave her my blessing to marry Snow. It's all kind of fuzzy from that point. I remember walking toward the pillar. Serah and Snow were ahead... and Sazh and his son, Dajh. I was walking with Hope... and then..." her voice trailed off as she tried to remember the rest. "…. I stopped," she finally said as if she was just remembering it for the first time. "I was anxious... something didn't feel right... and then... I heard something... bells... and that's the last thing I can remember. The world around me went dark... and then I woke up outside Midgar."

"Hmm," Cloud replied as he thought about her story. It didn't completely add up. He believed what she'd told him, but it almost seemed as if something had been cut from the middle. How did she go from standing on her own planet on minute to waking up on his the next? Maybe this dream of hers was part of what was missing, after all. Maybe it really was a memory from before she'd arrived on this planet. But, if that were the case, that meant her sister was already dead. Something didn't seem right though because if the dream had been real and Serah was in fact dead, that meant that Lightning was dead as well, and that clearly wasn't the case. She was just as alive as he was and he was going to keep it that way.

The two of them sat there for a while longer, while silence lingered in the air between them. Cloud looked back to the Inn to see Red sitting outside looking in their direction patiently, no doubt waiting for his chance to give his farewells. He didn't see why the red-furred beast couldn't join them, so he waved his hand to let him to know that it was okay and within seconds the animal had taken his place beside the fire. Cloud had expected the beast to give him a quick goodbye before retreating again. What he hadn't expected was even more silence and a conflicted look upon his red face as he stared into the flame.

"What's up?" Cloud asked.

Red looked at him for a moment as if he was going to say something and then shook his head before returning it to the blaze. "….Long ago," he finally said. "...When I was still very small. We were all around this flame..." he continued before stopping and then shaking his head again. "No, never mind."

"What happened?" Lightning asked as she looked up in interest, obviously trying to clear her own mind of troubling thoughts.

"It's about my parents," he sighed. "When I talk of my mother, I am full of pride and joy... and that's fine... but when I think of my father, my heart is full of anger," he said and then paused for a few moments. "...I came to say goodbye," he finally informed them. "I have to stay here and do what my cowardly father didn't. I have to protect the village."

"...You really can't forgive your father?"

The three of them quickly turned around to see that Bugenhagen was now hovering slightly above the ground right behind them, looking down at his grandson is disappointment.

"He... left mother for dead," Red defended. "When the Gi Tribe attacked, he ran off by himself, leaving mother and the people of the canyon."

A look of sadness reflected upon Bugen's face before he straightened up and then cleared his throat, "...Come Nanaki. There's something you should see." Red looked at his grandfather in confusion, so Bugen turned his attention to Cloud and Lightning, "The place may be dangerous. Would you two accompany us?"

Cloud nodded and then looked to Lightning who nodded as well. "Why don't you sit this one out?" he suggested. "Go get some rest at the Inn and I'll find Barret or Tifa."

"No," she shook her head, completely dismissing the suggestion. "I'm fine, I promise. It would be good for me. It would give me something else to think about."

"Okay," he nodded. "If you're sure."

The three of them rose to their feet and followed Bugen away from the fire and through the town, each unsure of where they were being led. The elderly man guided them back through the caves on the same path that led back to his house, and Cloud was beginning to wonder if that's where the party was headed, until they came to a stop at the same tall ladder that led to the peak of the canyon. Rather than ascending the ladder, Bugen instead placed his hand on the large steel door beside it. The trio looked at it curiously and then Bugen turned around to face them.

"Ho Ho Hoooo, we all set?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cloud and Lightning replied in unison as they looked at him curiously.

"Alright," Bugen nodded before turning to the door again and then fumbling with a device on the front of it. The door immediately retracted into the wall, revealing yet another section of the cave. "Come in, come in."

"Okay," Red nodded. "You lead the way, Grandpa."

"What, are you crazy?" Bugen laughed. "It's dangerous in there. I told you that! You want an old man like me to go first? I'll be right behind you."

The three of them looked at each other hesitantly and then Lightning gave a swift nod, "I'll take point."

* * *

Lightning didn't wait for a response from the others and instead turned on the spot and began navigating the group into the cave. She knew that after the spectacle she'd put on before, Cloud had serious reservations about her coming along in the first place, never mind allowing her to take the lead throughout what Bugenhagen had warned was a 'dangerous place'. She'd never even given him the opportunity to object or to suggest otherwise, and had instead just taken it upon herself to lead them though.

She lowered herself down onto an old, worn ladder and began descending deeper into the cavern. The place was warm, oddly warm for a cave; and the temperature was rapidly rising the lower she went. The cave had a foul smell to it, almost as if thousands of dead bodies could perhaps be littering the hard surface below. The walls around her began to glow green as she went deeper and deeper and Lightning wondered what in the world could possibly be causing it to look that way. Was it Mako, or rather the lifestream, that she was now seeing around her, or was it something else; and could it perhaps the source of the smell.

Lightning's feet hit the ground and before she could turn around to survey her surroundings, she heard something snarling nearby. Quickly removing her gunblade, she spun around to face two rabid beasts slowly approaching with their teeth bared menacingly. They were crimson and grey in color and were accentuated with turquoise markings along the sides of their bodies. She'd felt like she'd seen them before, but for some reason, she couldn't place where. Flicking her weapon into sword mode, the beasts lunged in tandem, each ready to tear her apart with its razor-sharp claws and teeth. Lightning quickly sent her blade, whistling through the air to decapitate the first and swiftly brought it down to create a very large slash on the second's back. The beast yelped in pain before collapsing to the ground to die. Too easy.

"You okay?" Cloud asked as he suddenly appeared at her side.

"Yeah," she replied. "Where are the others?"

"On their way down," he replied as he looked at the dying beast. "What are these?" he questioned. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"I don't know," she shook her head, "but they look familiar."

And then it hit her.

 _Pantherons._

"Ho Ho Hooo, I told you this place was dangerous," Bugen stated as he and Red arrived at the scene. "Everything you'll find here is a ghost of the Gi Tribe, killed in a certain battle."

 _'_ _What?'_

"A certain battle?" Red questioned.

"The vengeful spirits of the Gi didn't disappear, and couldn't return to the Lifestream," Bugen replied.

"So those things… they'll come back?" Cloud questioned as he looked at the animals that Lightning had just dispatched.

"Most certainly," Bugen nodded. "We have far to go. Ho Ho Hooo."

Lightning returned her gunblade to its holster and began proceeding to the next section of the cave as she tried to make sense of what she'd just seen. Bugenhagen had identified those creatures as the Gi Tribe, but they had been present on her world has well. They were biological weapons created by PSICOM and were generally used as guard dogs or bloodhounds. They were rarely seen in the wild, except for the Gapra Whitewood, where they captured, biologically altered, and then trained for PSICOM business. Did their presence on this planet mean that the two worlds shared more in common than she thought? And if they had attacked Cosmo Canyon years ago, did this mean that that this planet's version was different than her own? Did these creatures have more developed minds than the ones she'd known back on Cocoon? Were they capable of speaking, or experiencing complex thoughts, ideas, and feelings? Were the Pantherons of this planet more like Red, and less like animals? Was it possible that the ones on her planet could've been the same before PSICOM suppressed them into servitude? Or could these Pantherons perhaps have come from her planet?

"That explains why it's so hot," Cloud's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Hmm," she acknowledged as she looked from the narrow stretch of rock where she stood to the boiling lava glowing beneath her. "Be careful, this stuff is slick," she informed them as she gently ran her boot through a patch of what appeared to be some sort of brown slime that covered the stone under their feet. "Try and stay out of it," she added as they proceeded cautiously through the cavern room.

"As you can see, this cave leads to the back of Cosmo Canyon," Bugen informed them as he paused for a moment to address Red, who was looking around the cave with interest. "Even though the Gi outnumbered us, they could not attack through here because the passage is too narrow. Let's move on," he added.

"Which way should we go?" Lightning inquired as she came to a halt and surveyed the options before her. "The path splits into five directions."

"Ho Ho Hooo, I don't really remember," Bugen laughed. "I do know that it isn't the two on the ends. As for the rest, only one of them will lead us where we want to go, the other two will dead end."

"So that leaves three," Lightning thought aloud. "Let's split up, check them out to see where each lead, and we'll meet back here in a few minutes."

"Okay," Red nodded. "I'll take the one in the middle."

"I'll go left," Cloud stated, "and that leaves you the right."

"Sounds good," she agreed. "Be on alert. Something doesn't feel right about this area."

The three of them nodded and then set off in their respective directions. The passageway that Lightning travelled was poorly lit and the walls that were now robbed of the green illumination seemed to become higher and narrower as she proceeded onward. Something gleamed in her path a little way ahead and she strained her eyes to figure out what it could possibly be. It was shiny and white, actually it seemed to be... transparent. She could see an object lying on the ground behind it, and it almost seemed as if whatever it was she was staring at had been placed there to protect it. As she got closer she saw that it was beautiful in design, so detailed and perfectly constructed. It was…. Lightning stopped dead as the realization sank in. It was a giant spider's web!

Lightning heard movement behind her and before she could turn around, a line of white silk shot right past her head, missing her by inches. She quickly retrieved her weapon and spun around, prepared to defend herself, but nothing was there. It was almost too dark to really see anything and the only light in the narrow passage was provided from the illuminating lava in the other room and the soft glow of her pauldron. A movement to her right spun her on the spot and her eyes travelled up the high wall in search of her new foe. She found its growing red eyes first, high in the corner of the ceiling, and as her own eyes took in the full sight before her, she let out gasp of terror. It was the biggest spider she'd ever seen in her life and all eight of its crimson orbs were looking down on her hungrily as if it were planning its next meal.

She and the spider stared at each other for a moment, as she tried to decide her next move. She didn't want to take her chances with her gun or materia in a space this confined out of fear of disturbing the cavern wall and causing it to collapse in on her, but this place wasn't really wide enough for combat with her sword either, at least not against something that big. The insect would easily take up the whole path itself and wouldn't leave her much room to maneuver. Whatever she did would have to be well thought and precise though or she would likely be dead within the minute. Her eyes quickly surveyed her environment for anything else that could possibly help her, but she came up short. She'd have to make a decision and pray that whatever she did didn't kill her in the process.

She raised her gun to take aim at the spider and it quickly leapt from the corner of the ceiling and onto the wall behind her. She spun around to see it already falling through the air, ready to skewer her with one of its brown pointy legs. Lightning knew there was nowhere she could go to escape the massive spider's wrath, and so she began firing on the creature, praying that she didn't cause the walls to cave in around her. The spider screeched in pain and Lightning managed to roll out of its way just before it hit the ground. Somehow the thing had survived, and Lightning really began to fear for her own life as she realized that she was now caught between the angered creature and its giant web that was stretched across the opening just inches behind her.

The insect rose on its eight legs and stared at her angrily. Lightning began firing again, this time trying to take out as many of its eyes as possible, while its screams once again echoed against the cavern walls. The clicking sound from her weapon told her that she'd run out of ammo and she flipped it into sword mode in preparation of the spiders next move. Instead of coming at her, the creature collapsed again and Lightning saw her golden opportunity. Wasting no time, she leapt up and sprang off one of its front legs before driving her sword straight down into its head, successfully killing it.

Sighing in relief, she removed her blade and wiped the blood clean on the spider's hairy back before making her way back to the ground. She reached her hand through the spider's web and picked up the item on the other side: a bottle, which appeared to be some sort of extra strong potion. Deciding that it may be of some use later, she stuffed it in her thigh pouch and then retrieved some ammo to reload her weapon. Footsteps could be heard running down the path and she turned to see Red appear on the other side of the spider.

"Are you okay?" he asked as his eyes fell upon the giant spider before him.

"Yeah," she nodded as she climbed over the deceased insect to meet him. "Where's Cloud?"

"He isn't back yet," he replied. "My path was a dead end. I'd gone back to the beginning to wait and I heard gunshots, so I came to help."

"Thanks," she nodded appreciatively. "Let's go find him. Hopefully he's not run into one of these as well."

The two made their way back to the previous room to find Bugenhagen sat patiently on his ball awaiting their arrival. Lightning didn't say anything to the man but rather started off down the path Cloud had taken. It was quiet save for their footsteps and Lightning was beginning to fear the worst until she rounded a corner and ran right into her blonde-haired lover. He was very sweaty, and his clothes hung awkwardly to his body, but otherwise he seemed just fine.

"I made some friends," he said sarcastically.

"Me too," Lightning rolled her eyes. "Did you find a way through?"

"Yeah, it's ahead," he nodded as he gestured in the direction he'd just came from.

"At least you had a bit more room to move around," Lightning remarked as they passed two heavily sliced spiders that were slightly smaller than the one she'd just fought.

"I don't ever want to see another spider again," he replied in disgust.

"I'll second that," she agreed.

'Do we have much further to go, grandpa?" Red asked.

The elderly man didn't answer the question but stopped and looked up at the cavern ceiling as if deep in thought. "This warrior went through the cave all alone," he finally said. "Fighting attackers one after another."

Red looked at him confusion for a moment, "Grandpa... that warrior..."

"Ho Ho Hooo, we're almost there," Bugen assured as he ushered them forward.

"What's this?" Lightning gasped as she suddenly came to a halt, causing Cloud to stumble slightly as he ran into her. The path ahead of her was narrow, extending over a pit of boiling hot lava. The stone bridge they were stood upon opened up onto a larger platform, but came to an abrupt end at a wall that had what appeared to be a face carved into it. She'd never seen anything so evil or sinister looking in her life. Its teeth were bared in a wicked smile and its eyes were narrowed menacingly as it stared down upon them. A shiver ran down her spine as she gazed at the demon in front of her, which looked as though it were about to break free from its rocky tomb at any moment.

"What is this?" Bugen questioned as he peeked around for a better look.

"Grandpa, is he...?" Red asked.

"After death... the ghosts of the Gi..." Bugen began but trailed off. "…. Like stagnant air... This can't be!"

The wall in front of them began to vibrate and the bridge below them shook violently, threatening to toss them into the fiery pit below. Instinctively, Cloud placed his hands on Lightning's shoulders to make sure she remained stable and she quickly raised her right hand to grip the hand he'd placed on her left shoulder. Suddenly the vibration halted and then their eyes were flooded with white. When it finally receded, she let out a soft gasp at what had replaced the wall.

Was it a ghost or a zombie? It was hard to tell for sure, but Lightning knew one thing for certain—it did not belong in the world of the living. Its skeletal figure hovered above the ground where the wall had previously been and its green cloak rippled slightly from the breeze now moving through the passage. Its head was decorated with tribal feathers and in its hand was a very long crimson spear. Its cold, evil green eyes found her and she felt her insides freeze as though they had cut straight through to the other side. It smiled mischievously and she knew that it was gearing up for something that would no doubt result in their deaths. They needed to get off this narrow strip and onto solid ground, fast!

"Let's move!" she commanded as she removed her gunblade and charged forward, ready to drive her blade into the undead being with every ounce of strength she had. Just as she was prepared to land her blow, the creature suddenly vanished causing her fall painfully onto the ground.

The skeleton reappeared again and swung its spear at Cloud, who managed to raise his massive sword just in time to avoid losing his head. Red lunged at the creature, ready to tear it apart with his teeth, but his attacks only seemed to anger the demon. Lightning wiped away a streak of blood from her forehead and then scrambled to her feet. Switching her weapon into gun mode, she began firing upon the creature in hopes of deterring it from the chain of heavy assaults it was now unleashing upon Cloud in very quick succession. One of her bullets found the back of its skull and it angrily spun around and jabbed its razor-sharp spear right at her chest, which she only managed to avoid with a well-timed backflip.

Lightning stuck the landing and extended her weapon again, ready to defend herself, but the demon's attention had already returned to Cloud and Red, who were attempting unsuccessfully to land a hit on the thing. Red leaped forward and sent a blaze of fire right at it and Lighting found herself dodging again as the inferno went right through the undead creature as if it hadn't been there at all. Clearly magic wasn't the answer and apparently physical attacks weren't doing very well either, so Lightning began racking her brain in search of any bit of useful information.

 _'Cie'th!'_ she suddenly realized as her mind reflected back to the army of undead creatures that stalked her throughout Cocoon and Pulse. They were weak against restorative spells! But she had never been any good at that type of thing and she most certainly wouldn't be good enough to stop this creature now. There wasn't anything she wouldn't give to have Hope or Vanille send a nice Curaja its way, but she knew that she was on her own this time. She dove her hand onto her jacket pocket in search of her Heal Materia, but her fingers only found the green orb of electricity. Where was it? Had it been lost back at the Desert Prison? She quickly plunged her hand into her thigh pouch and her hands wrapped around the potion bottle she had found before. Perhaps this would be helpful?

She didn't have a chance to reconsider her options because no sooner had the bottle been pulled from her pocket, the demon knocked Cloud to the ground and prepared to drive its spear through her mako-eyed lovers heart. Lightning panicked and threw the bottle as hard as she possibly could at the back of the creature's skull, causing it to shatter and the green glowing liquid to spill over its skeletal body. The demon hissed in pain and then retracted its blade, abandoning Cloud completely. It quickly turned and Lightning felt herself paralyzed as the creature shot directly at her with more speed than she had anticipated. Its spear was extended ready to impale her and she squeezed her eyes tightly in preparation for the agony that was about to overcome her. A strong breeze ripped through her hair and Lightning opened her eyes to see that the demon was gone. She looked around in confusion, but it was nowhere to be seen. The potion had apparently done the trick after all.

Cloud quickly sprang to his feet and rushed to her, inspecting her for any signs of damage. He wiped a small amount of blood from her forehead and then smiled. "How did you know that would work?"

"I didn't," she answered truthfully. "I just really hoped it would."

"Thank you," Bugen spoke up. "Because of you, we survived. Nanaki, you have grown strong too."

"…Oh yeah?" the red-furred beast questioned.

"Now I know that it wasn't a mistake bringing you here…." Bugen went on. "Come, I have something to show you… right over here," he added as he led the group through the opening left by the fiend and into a passage that led outside.

"This is…." Red began as his eyes followed the stone wall to see a creature like himself stood, petrified at the top, pierced by the many poisonous arrows of his foes.

"…. The warrior who fought against the Gi," Bugen clarified. "He kept them from even taking one step into Cosmo Canyon, but he was never able to return home… Look, Nanaki. Look at your father, at the warrior, Seto."

"….That… That's Seto?" Red asked as he stared at the beast that Bugen had just called his father.

"Seto continued to fight the Gi tribe here," Bugen explained. "…. To protect Cosmo Canyon. Even after the Gi's poisonous arrows turned his body to stone…. Even after they all ran away…. Seto continued to protect us, and he continues to protect us, even now."

"Even now…." Red repeated.

"You thought that he was a coward and ran away. But he, alone risked his life to protect Cosmo Canyon," Bugen went on. "That is your father, Seto."

"That… is Seto?" Red mumbled as if he still couldn't believe what the old man was telling him. "Did mother know?"

"Ho Ho Hooo, she knew," Bugen nodded. "The two of them made me promise to keep this cave shut. They asked me to seal it myself and not tell a soul. They said we should forget about this cave."

Red remained silent as he stared at his father, so Bugen turned his attention to Lightning and Cloud, "Cloud… Lightning, would you mind leaving the two of us alone?"

Lightning exchanged a quick glance with her blonde companion and then they nodded in unison before returning to the warm cave to grant Red and his grandfather a bit of privacy.

"That thing from before," Cloud began as soon as they were out of earshot. "You've seen something like it, haven't you?"

Lighting remained silent and dropped her gaze to the cave floor, unsure of whether or not she should share the thoughts that were now racing through her mind.

"You have," he pressed. "Where?"

"…Cie'th," she finally whispered.

"What?"

"Cie'th," she repeated. "l'Cie who complete the focus given to them by a fal'Cie are gifted with eternal life in the form of crystal stasis... and those who do not become Cie'th, doomed to roam in sorrow until another completes their focus or releases them from their agony. That was almost my fate…"

"Do you think that thing was a Cie'th?" Cloud asked.

"I… don't know," she answered truthfully. "Those dogs from before… I... I recognized them too. During the Purge… they were everywhere. They were PSICOM's domesticated peacekeepers… Cloud, what does all of this mean? Could whatever that happened here with this Gi Tribe be related to my planet somehow?"

"I don't know," he shook his head. "But we'll figure it out. For now, though, let's keep this from Red… just until we know for sure whether the two are connected, or not."

Lightning nodded, but she couldn't shake the nagging thoughts away. Something felt so wrong here. Why were those dogs in the cave? And the Cie'th? How did it get here? Was there possibly a fal'Cie around as well? If they were here too, did that mean they had arrived the same way she had? Could there possibly be a portal somewhere? Some hidden path between her world and this one? And if so, would she ever be able to find it?

"Light, you coming?" Cloud's voice broke into her thoughts and she looked up to see that Bugen and Red had rejoined them.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Be right there," she added with one last look at the cavern around her.

 _What am I missing here?_

* * *

"The hell've you all been?" Barret asked as Lightning and Cloud rejoined the party around the blazing fire.

The sun was going down again and the familiar cool air was beginning to settle between the canyon once more. The two of them took their seats beside the others and allowed the blaze to warm them. Lightning's mind was still racing from what she'd encountered in the cave, but she tried her best to hide it so she wouldn't be forced to discuss it any further. "We were helping Red and Bugenhagen with something," she finally answered.

"Oh really?" Barret replied.

"What did you all do today?" Cloud asked as he looked around at each member of the party. "Did you all learn anything about Sephiroth?"

"No," Tifa shook her head. "No one has seen him."

"I spoke with the Elders," Aeris spoke up. "I learned a great deal… about the Cetra… and the Promised Land…."

"Hmmm…" Cloud acknowledged.

It was easy to see that the Flower Girl was still upset about the day before and whatever she'd learned obviously hadn't made it any better. Lightning was glad that the others seemed to realize this as well and didn't press the poor girl.

"Is Red gonna stay here?" Barret asked, changing the subject.

"I think so," Cloud replied. "He's with his grandpa now."

"Hmm…" Barret hummed as he nodded his head in acceptance.

"I'm here," Red stated as he joined as well. "And I've decided to continue journeying with you all."

"What happened?" Cloud asked, wondering why the red-furred beast had suddenly changed his mind.

"I think I grew up a little," Red admitted as he sat among them. "That's what happened! So, I'll keep going, and together, we'll save the world!"

Hell yeah!" Barret cheered. "Cosmo Canyon… this is where AVALANCHE was born, ya know!" he went on. "I promised my guys that I'd bring them here… someday, when we saved the planet from the Shinra. That we'd all go to Cosmo Canyon to celebrate. Biggs… Wedge… Jessie… They all died for the planet, but today what they stood for will live on! Their deaths won't be for nothin'. All of us bein' here together right now, it's a sign! We'll all carry on and together, we'll finish what we started. Again… AVALANCHE is born again!"

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! It's been a week since my last update. I'm feeling a little proud of myself for the quick update. In all honesty, I've had more time to myself this week and I've needed something to help take my mind off things. I had to put my German Shepherd down on Saturday and I've been having a really hard time with it. He was thirteen years old and he was my buddy. It was a really hard decision to make and I'm not gonna lie, it tore me to pieces. It's hard to lose something that you're so close to, and even worse when you're put in that position and have to decide when it's time. I loved that big boy. We played together, he protected me, and he taught me a lot of valuable life lessons. It'll take me a while to mend the hole that he left behind, that's for sure.**

 **But anyway, enough with my depressed self and onto the chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed it. Things are beginning to come together in a big way and Lightning is moving forward with so many questions in regards to the connection between the two worlds. She knows that something isn't quite right here and it won't be long until she learns at least part of the truth. As for our blonde hero, he's finally in the loop about Lightning's disturbing dreams and his mind is now working overtime to try and solve the riddle of her mysterious past. He seems like he's dangerously close, doesn't it? Isn't it a little funny that they're both so perceptive that they can work with the limited information they're given in order to figure out each other's pasts, but they can't seem to do the same thing with their own?**

 **The story has gotten a lot of interest this past week in the way of new followers and favorites. I'm really happy that you all are enjoying my story and I hope that you stick around. A special thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter. It's precisely support like that, that keeps me going. So yeah, with that being said, don't forget to drop me a few lines before you leave today and let me know how I did. :)**

 **Lots of love,**

 **Lady A**


	34. Chapter 33: The Start of Your Nightmare

**Chapter 33 - The Start of Your Nightmare**

The buggy came to a halt and silence filled the air as the group remained in their respective seats, each unwilling to be the one to make the first move. Lightning looked from Cloud to Tifa, who had grave expressions painted upon their pale faces as they stared in the direction of where they would find their ruined hometown. This would no doubt be a tough experience for both of them, seeing as neither had returned to Nibelheim since its destruction a few years back. She reached out and touched Cloud's hand with her own, and then gave him a slight nod to tell him that it was time. He inhaled deeply and then returned her nod before opening the door to get out.

The air was pretty stale at this altitude and the temperature was much cooler than it had been back at Cosmo Canyon, leading Lightning to believe that this place was most likely unbearable by night. According to Cloud and Tifa, all of the townspeople were murdered by Sephiroth and the town itself, had been torched to a crisp, so it seemed pretty easy to assume that the odds of finding any type of shelter were somewhere between slim and none. They would most likely have no choice but to cross the mountain today or else be subjected to the frigid temperatures come nightfall.

"It's just past that turn," Cloud informed them as they abandoned their vehicle and began to climb the steep path that would lead them to the town's entrance. "Just past those rocks."

Lightning was expecting to find the charred remains of a once prosperous town, but what the group found when they rounded the corner was anything but. She looked on in confusion for a moment before shifting her gaze to Cloud and then Tifa, whose faces seemed to perfectly mirror her thoughts.

"What!?" Tifa finally gasped as her hand shot up to partially cover her mouth. "This was all burnt down, wasn't it?"

"… I thought so," Cloud replied as his eyes moved carefully from house to house before rubbing them, in hopes that he was only imagining the scene set before him.

"Then why..." Tifa continued. "My house is still here too..."

"… Something's strange..." Aeris remarked as her eyes travelled to the giant well in the town's center and then onto the houses that perfectly encircled it.

Not a trace of damage could be seen to any of the houses, aside from the usual wear and tear from the weather, and Lightning had to admit that the story Cloud and Tifa had told wasn't quite adding up. They had painted a horrifying scene of an inferno created by a deranged member of SOLDIER. A night in which he'd slaughtered every living soul in sight as he went about his rampage. However, what she saw now didn't seem to suggest that anything had happened here at all. The houses still stood as proud as ever and the village was full of people going about their day to day business.

"Cloud..." she began as she placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Maybe you-"

"I'm not lying!" he snapped back defensively, as if he had been reading her very thoughts. "I remember… the intense heat of the flames…"

"Why don't we have a look around," she suggested. "Spilt up and visit a few of the shops and see what we can learn from these people. If what you say happened, then surely someone here knows something."

"Sounds like a good idea," Aeris agreed. "Tifa… didn't you say your house was nearby? Why don't you and Cloud go check it out?"

"Okay," she nodded as she and Cloud exchanged nervous glances before setting off towards a two-story residence on the opposite end of the circle.

"This place seems boring," Yuffie remarked as she looked around lazily. "Think I'm gonna go check out the materia while you all are poking around," she added as she took off in search of the appropriate shop.

"Would you two mind going with her?" Lightning addressed Barret and Red after the ninja was out of earshot. "Make sure she's actually being productive."

"I don't understand why that kid's still hangin' around," Barret sighed as he rolled his eyes.

"She must be bored," Red speculated.

"Or up to something," Lightning corrected. "I still don't trust her. Please, just keep an eye on her."

"Okay, Pinky," Barret nodded. "Where'd that dumb cat run off too?"

"Who?" Lightning questioned before realizing that he was referring to Cait Sith. She always had the hardest time remembering that stupid cat. "Oh, who knows?" she shrugged. "Probably off stealing some kid's money."

"Kids…" Barret echoed, causing her to shoot him a quizzical look. "Ain't it weird that there's none around?"

"Huh?" she questioned as her eyes moved around the small town.

"Every town we been to so far," Barret went on, "there's always kids runnin' around, and whatnot. But there ain't none here. It's jus' weird."

"I suppose," she agreed as she continued to look around. "Maybe they're in school?"

"You and Miss Cheerful here gonna be okay by yourselves?" he questioned as he looked down on her sternly. "Think you can keep your ass outta trouble for once?"

"Yes, father," she rolled her eyes. "We'll be fine."

"Okay then," he nodded. "See you all later," he added as he and Red hurried off after Yuffie.

"Where would you like to start?" Aeris asked with a smile. "At the Inn?"

"I suppose that's as good a place as any," she shrugged "Let's check it out."

The Innkeeper looked up in surprise as Lightning and Aeris walked in, almost as if he hadn't been expecting to have any visitors. Lightning looked around suspiciously as she approached the counter, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The room was small but the light streaming through the long vertical windows on the west facing wall made it all seem much bigger than it actually was. Everything seemed perfectly normal about the place, from the well-broken in leather chairs in the corner to the slightly scuffed up counter that the Inn Keeper stood behind. It seemed like just another, very average lobby.

"Hi, welcome," the man finally greeted as they approached the cherry colored counter. "You two looking for a place to stay?"

"Not quite," Lightning replied. "We were wondering if you could give us some information about the place."

"What kind of information?" the Inn Keeper asked as he scratched his head. "You staying for a while or are you just passing though?"

"Passing through," she informed him. "I'd heard a rumor that there was a fire here a few years ago. What can you tell me about that?"

"Fire?" the man questioned as he looked between them in confusion. "I've not heard of no 'fire'."

"Strange…" she went on. "I know someone who lived here and he's under the impression that this place burnt to the ground, and all of the people were killed."

"That's an awful thing to say!" the man defended as he briefly adverted his gaze. "I was born and raised in this town and what you say never happened. Now, can I help you ladies with a room for the night?"

"No," Lightning shook her head. "Thank you."

"That's so strange," Aeris remarked as soon as they were back outside again. "Why would Cloud and Tifa remember something that didn't happen."

"He's lying," she replied.

"Cloud?" Aeris questioned. "Why do you-"

"That man in there," she clarified.

"How do you know?"

"He looked up and to the right when he answered," she explained.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Aeris pressed as if she wasn't fully convinced.

"Because, that's the direction you look when you're telling a lie," she went on. "Looking up and to the left is associated with memory... up and to the right is imagination."

"How do you know this?"

"Something I picked in the Guardian Corps," she answered casually. "It's basic interrogation."

"Oh," Aeris replied. "Do you wanna try another shop?"

"Hmm," Lightning nodded along as her eyes fell upon a hooded man standing near the well. She hadn't noticed him standing there before and for some reason, he gave her a very bad feeling.

"Maybe he knows something?" Aeris questioned as she followed her friends gaze, and then hurried off to no doubt to put her newfound knowledge to good use.

"Wait!" Lightning commanded as she chased after the brunette, catching up to her just as she was approaching the hooded figure.

"Excuse me, Mister, but could you-" Aeris began, but was suddenly cut off as the man looked up revealing the piercing green mako eyes that had been hidden by the black hood of his robe.

The man's emerald, cat-like eyes shifted slowly from Aeris onto Lightning, and she felt her insides freeze as his orbs pierced her own and cut straight through to her very soul. His skin was pale, almost too pale, and he had a foul stench about him that made her nostrils burn. There was no way this man should be living, and yet here he was, standing before her.

"Come on," she instructed, but as she began to guide her friend away, the man reached out and grabbed her wrist with his icy cold hand, causing all of the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.

"Get off me," Lightning commanded as she spun around and tried to pry her arm away from the man's tattooed hand.

"Re...union," the man mumbled as his eyes continued to burn into hers. "Must... go..."

"Get off," Lightning warned again and when the man tightened his grip, her knee instinctively came up to meet his gut, before back handing him for good measure. The man fell to the ground, and then as if completely unphased by her defensive reaction, he began to rise again as if she'd done nothing to him at all. Lightning paused in perplexity as she looked down on the man, wondering who or what he could possibly be. One thing was certain though: he was not right in the head.

"Uh... Lightning?" Aeris gasped, alerting the pinkette to the fact that there were now two more hooded figures slowly heading in their direction.

"What the-?" Lightning furrowed her eyebrows anxiously as she watched the two men stagger toward them like a couple of mindless zombies who had just stumbled upon their next meal. She quickly plunged her hand into her pocket to retrieve her namesake and then allowed the orb to sink beneath her wrist in preparation to defend herself. "What are these things?"

"I-I don't know," Aeris replied shakily as she retrieved her own materia from the pocket of her pink dress and prepared to place it into the slot of her staff.

"No," Lightning stopped her. "Go find Cloud."

"But-" she started to object.

"I don't think these things are human… and he needs to see this," she explained as she kneed the rising man in the face, causing him to fall to the ground again. "Now, go!"

Aeris looked at her hesitantly for a moment and then gave a swift nod before sprinting off toward the house that Cloud and Tifa had disappeared into. Lightning's gaze lowered to the man at her feet and then shifted to the other two that were creeping closer. Not one of them had pursued or even looked in Aeris' direction as she had run off, suggesting that they didn't have the tiniest bit of interest in her. For whatever reason, they only seemed interested in Lightning, but she hadn't the slightest clue why.

"Get back," she warned as she yanked her gunblade from behind her and flicked it into sword mode, hoping that her weapon's presence would be enough to scare them away. The men, however, seemed completely unbothered by the danger as they continued advancing.

"Re...union," they began chanting as they neared. "Re...union."

"I said get back," she barked as she threw her hand out in front of her to release a bolt of electricity that engulfed one of the men, bringing him to his knees.

"Re...union... must... go..." he gasped as his body twitched uncontrollably. "Must... go...to... Sephiroth."

 _'Sephiroth?'_ she questioned as the man began to rise once more. _'Is he responsible for this?'_ Her eyes darted to the man at her feet and then to the third man, who was getting a little too close for comfort. She raised her sword, ready to slice him open, but quick movement to her left caught her attention and she turned her head to see Cloud emerge from the other side of the well with his sword already drawn. His hilt met the back of one of the men's heads, knocking him to the ground and the blonde jumped over him to take his place next to Lightning.

"What are these things?" Cloud asked in disgust as he look in their pale, lifeless faces. "Wait... I know these people."

"You do?" Lightning asked in disbelief as she backed up slightly, unsure whether she should attack, or not.

"They're from this town," he clarified as he used his hand to push one of them back. "This man used to be the Inn Keeper," he added as he grabbed the one at their feet by the robes to observe his face. "What is this tattoo?" he asked as he glanced down at the man's hand to read the number '11' that was inked into it. "They all have them," he observed as he then glanced at the other two. "Five... seven...? What does it mean?" he asked as he shook the man violently.

"Fail...ure," the man muttered as his eyes travelled up to meet Cloud's. "Must go... re... union...Sephiroth..."

"Snap out of it," Cloud commanded as he shook the man again.

"Re...union" the man echoed, causing Cloud to push him backward onto the ground.

"They're gone," he realized as he looked down at the man and then at the other two. "There's nothing left of them. Come on, let's get out of here," he instructed as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away.

"They're following _me_ ," Lightning observed as she turned her head to look back at the three men that were beginning to mindlessly trail behind them. "What do they want?"

"Who knows," he shrugged as he led them away from the town and up a steep hill. They came to a halt just outside of a broken stone wall that served as a barrier between the town and the very old and run-down mansion that stood on the other side of it. "All of this probably has something to do with the Shinra though," he went on as he looked up at the house that towered above them. "We might find an explanation here."

"What is this place?" she asked as her eyes travelled over the large, weathered building.

"Shinra Manor," he answered as he led her through the gate and down the stone path toward the house. "A lot of Shinra Executives used to visit when the reactor was being built and they used this house for lodging, so they didn't have to stay at the Inn. After the reactor had been running for a while, the Executives stopped coming and then we'd only see a few people coming and going from the place. We didn't really know what they were doing in there, but for the most part, they stayed inside and the curtains over the windows were always drawn, so not even the kids that snuck around the property could figure out what they were doing in there."

"And you really think we'll find something here?" she questioned as she looked at the place with uncertainty.

"Something's wrong here," he replied as he stopped just outside the door and then turned around to face her. "I know this town was destroyed... I watched Sephiroth do it. I don't recognize most of the people here and the ones I do have lost their minds completely. They've all been exposed to Mako, you could see it in their eyes... and who do you know that likes to do that to people just for fun?"

Lightning adverted her gaze to the ground and gently kicked her boot against a loose piece on stone in the walk path as she recalled Cloud's story back in Kalm. She hated to think there were even more people in the world that the Shinra or Hojo had tortured; that there could possibly be more lives that they had changed or destroyed completely. The very idea of it made her feel sick to her stomach. "I suppose you're right," she reluctantly agreed as she raised her gaze again to meet his. "... I guess there's only one way to find out."

Cloud nodded and then pushed open the heavy wooden door, which allowed the stale air inside to assault their nostrils. They stepped through the opening to arrive in a dark room that looked as though no one had set foot in it for years. Everything seemed to be covered in at least an inch of dust from the large circular rug beneath their feet to the elegant wooden staircase that stretched out in front of them. Even the three long, vertical windows that decorated the walls above the staircase were so clouded that nothing could be seen on the other side. Lightning felt her nostrils begin to itch a bit and then she let out an involuntary sneeze.

"You okay?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah," she sniffled. "I don't think anyone's been in here for a really long time..." she observed as she walked over to the staircase and swiped her finger across the banister to remove a bit of dust.

"It's been about five years since I've been here," he replied as he looked around. "Wait... do you hear that?"

Lightning strained her ears in search of the sound but heard nothing. Suddenly the door knob behind her began to rattle, causing her to jump slightly. Her hand instinctively fell to the handle of her gunblade as she spun around, but before she could pull the weapon free from its holster, the door opened slightly and Tifa pushed herself through the small crack that she'd made.

"Tifa?" Cloud exhaled in surprise by her sudden appearance.

"Where's Aeris?" Lightning asked immediately.

"She's with Barret," Tifa replied as her eyes shifted between Lightning and Cloud, and then around the dusty room. "I saw you guys come in here, so I came to see if you needed any help."

"What about those things outside?" Lightning asked.

"I think you've lost them," she shrugged. "They've calmed down a bit, but what was all that about?"

"I don't know," Lightning answered truthfully with a shake of her head.

"They don't seem to react to anyone but you," the martial artist went on as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did you do or say something to them?"

"No," Lightning defended.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Cloud cut in. "They're crazy."

"Hmm," Tifa acknowledged as she broke her gaze and allowed it to slowly travel around the room once again. "Why did you come here?"

"I thought we might find some answers here," Cloud answered honestly. "The town, those people... it's all wrong..."

"I know," Tifa replied. "But do you really think we'll find anything here?"

"Where else?" Cloud questioned.

"I just want to get out of the town," Tifa admitted. "It's too painful to be here..."

"I know," Cloud agreed as his eyes fell to the ground, "but I have to know the truth."

"What good will that do?" Tifa asked as she walked through the room to a little nook that contained nothing but a cluttered old desk and a window. She wiped the dust away from the glass and stared out for a few moments before speaking again. "...Even if we learn the truth, it won't change what happened."

"I understand... but I still need to know," Cloud sighed. "It's better than spending the rest of my life asking questions."

"I suppose you're right," Tifa conceded with a sigh.

"So where should we start?" Lightning asked as she looked from Tifa to Cloud. "This place is huge, we could be here all night."

"I'd say we start with this," Tifa suggested as she picked up a piece of paper from the desk to inspect it before handing it over to the pinkette.

 _'_ _I must get rid of all those who stand in the way of my research, even that one from the Turks,'_ the paper read. _'I scientifically altered him and put him to sleep in the basement. If you want to find him, search the area. But... this is merely a game I thought of. It is not necessary for you to participate if you don't want to...'_

"What the hell?" Cloud asked in disgust as he read the paper from over her shoulder.

 _'_ _It's all a game to him,'_ Lightning thought as her stomach shifted violently. _'He hurts people and then turns it into a game.'_

"There's more," Tifa pointed out. "On the back," she added, causing Lightning to flip the paper over to discover that there was, indeed, more to the note.

 _'_ _Move the dial on the safe carefully but quickly. You have 20 seconds. You can not go past the numbers while turning. The 4 hints for the numbers are... 1) The lid of the box with the most oxygen; 2) Behind the Ivory's short of tea and ray; 3) The creek in the floor near the chair on the second floor... to the left five steps, up nine steps, left two steps, and up six steps...'_

"Where's number four?" Cloud asked, point out the fact that the fourth clue was missing.

"Hmm..." Lightning thought as she gently ran her fingers over the surface of the paper to feel the texture from where the pen had pressed into it. Her fingers paused over the first line below the writing and then she stared at it in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Tifa asked as she shot the pinkette a puzzled look.

"There's more here," she observed as she ran her fingers over the line again. "The texture of this last line is the same as the others that have writing, but there is nothing there or on the other side of it," she added as she walked over to the desk where Tifa had found the note and then placed the paper in the same spot on the window that she had just cleared. "Gotcha!"

 _'_ _Dial 4 is Right 97'_

"Clever," Tifa praised as she and Cloud stared at the grey ink that had appeared under the light of the sun.

"Thanks... but as for the others, I don't have the slightest clue..." Lightning admitted.

"I think I know this one," Tifa replied as she took the paper and studied the other clues. "Behind the Ivory's short of tea and ray..." she recited. "I think this one is referring to a piano."

"How do you know?" Lightning inquired.

"I used to play," Tifa confessed. "When I was younger"

"That's right, you had a piano in your room!" Cloud recalled. "And if I remember correctly, there's one here as well... through that door and down the hall on the right," he added as he gestured to a closed door that stood on the west wall.

"Okay, that's one..." Lightning replied as she studied the clues again. "What about the others?"

"The creek in the floor near the chair on the second floor... to the left five steps, up nine steps, left two steps, and up six steps..." Cloud read. "That one seems simple enough... this last one though... The lid of the box with the most oxygen... I don't get that one at all."

"Why don't we start looking around," Lightning suggested. "Something might jump out at us."

"You're probably right," Cloud nodded. "Tifa, you want to check out the piano while Light and I take the other two clues?"

"Sure," she nodded. "Through there?" she verified as she pointed to the door.

"That's the way," Cloud nodded as he and Lightning began to ascend the stairs. "Meet us upstairs in a few minutes?"

"Yeah," she nodded, and with that, she disappeared.

"What do you think?" Lightning asked as they reached the top and to discover two corridors leading in opposite directions.

"I'm pretty sure I know where the chair is," Cloud informed her, "so how about I take the right and you, the left, and we'll look for any signs of excess oxygen."

"Yeah, okay," she nodded.

"You alright?" he questioned with a concerned look.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I just hate that we're playing his games, that's all. These are innocent people that he's messing with and it's nothing but fun to him," she added before pausing for a few moments. "... Do you think he's been here recently?"

"Who knows," Cloud shrugged, "But don't let it bother you. The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can leave."

"You're right," she agreed as she tried to dismiss her own feelings that were rapidly rising to the surface before nodding again, and then heading down the hall that Cloud had assigned to her.

She hated to think that Hojo was still out there somewhere, torturing people with his sick and twisted experiments. She wondered what exactly they would find once they cracked this code and discovered Hojo's latest secret. Would this person still be alive, or would he have perhaps already succumbed under the abuse? Lightning felt a chill run down her spine as she reflected on her own time in captivity. If Cloud and the others hadn't shown up when they did, what more would the mad scientist have done to her? Hojo had admitted in Costa del Sol that he hadn't gotten to finish what he'd started with her, so she couldn't help but wonder where it would have ended had he not been interrupted. Would he have continued until her death, or would it have only gone until she was no different than those monsters from Cloud's story?

Part of her wanted to find this person that the evil man had locked away in the basement, but another part of her dreaded it. She couldn't help but see herself a bit in this stranger and she could almost feel the pain coursing through her body all over again as she tried to imagine the sort of torture that Hojo had inflicted upon him. She wanted so desperately to set him free, but she was also terrified of what she'd discover when she finally did come face to face with one of Hojo's completed experiments.

Lightning ascended another short set of steps and then paused. _'Three rooms,'_ she observed as she studied the three identical doors before her. She opened the one on her left slightly and peeked her head through the crack, but all she found was a big room that contained two beds and an assortment of other furniture. Nothing seemed special or unique about this room, so she closed the door and proceeded to the large room on the opposite side of the hall, which contained nothing more than some junk scattered about, a tall bookcase, and a huge green safe, which was no doubt the one they would be attempting to open later.

She crossed the room and placed her hand upon the cold metal door of the safe and then immediately retracted it as she stared at it with a mixture of confusion and horror. She could feel the power coursing throughout the safe. It was familiar and welcoming, yet cold and hostile at the same time. She was curious as to what could possibly be stored in such a place that could make her feel that way, but at the same time, she was almost too afraid to open the door and find out.

Lightning slowly backed away from the safe and returned to the hallway before attempting to shake away the negative feeling that the safe had given her. After she had composed herself, she opened the door to the remaining room and immediately let out a loud sigh as she looked around at the contents and realized that the last clue had been perhaps the easiest of all. Every inch of the small circular room was decorated with plants of various sizes, and directly in the center of the floor, sat a small gold-plated box. She slowly crept toward the box and carefully flipped open the lid to discover a weapon of some sort. She looked at the contents in disappointment for a few moments before remembering the clue. She used her hand to wipe away the dust that had clung to the inside of the lid to reveal a carving etched into it.

 _'_ _Right 36'_

"Light!" Cloud called from the corridor. "Where are you?"

"I'm here," she called back, turning her head just in time to see her two comrades enter the room behind her.

"Wow," Tifa awed as she looked around at the plants. "How are these things still alive?"

"Who knows?" Lightning shrugged.

"Did you find the last number?"

"Yeah," Lightning nodded. "'Right 36'. What about you?"

Tifa nodded, "'Left 10'."

"'And Right 59'," Cloud added.

"Okay," Lightning began as she studied the paper again. "So, the combination is: Right 36, Left 10, Right 59, and Right 97. We only have 20 seconds to get this right and we cannot pass the numbers."

"Sounds simple enough," Cloud replied. "Where is the safe?"

"In the next room," she informed him as she led the way back through the hallway and into the appropriate room to find herself faced with the large safe again. _'Right 36, Left 10, Right 59, Right 97,'_ she chanted over and over in her head as she reached out to touch the dial. Suddenly, she felt Cloud's warm hand on her own and realized that hers had been trembling.

"Let me," he persuaded as he took her place in front of the safe and began turning the dial. "Right 36... Left 10... Right 59... Right 97..." He paused over the last number and the safe beeped twice to alert them that the code had been accepted. At the sound of the beep, there was an explosion of sorts from within the safe and the door shot off the hinges, knocking them all off their feet.

The air was forced from her lungs as her back smashed painfully against the wall behind her, and Lightning quickly raised her head to see black smoke pouring from the safe into the air before quickly taking shape. The creature that now stood before them was multi-colored, almost kaleidoscopic, as it took on his final form. It stood upright on two feet, almost like a human, but the curve in its back gave it a slight hunch. One of its upper limbs was shaped like an arm that ended in razor-sharp claws, while the other limb took the shape of a very large sword. The creature had an underbite and its long, sharp bottom teeth stretched upwards, stopping just below its evil yellow eyes that were angrily fixed upon them.

As Lightning stared into the monster's eyes, she felt herself paralyze, as if she had suddenly been glued to the wall behind her. Neither Cloud nor Tifa had moved either and she wanted so badly to turn her head to check on them, but her body simply wouldn't obey her commands. Somehow this creature was controlling her, preventing her from even making the slightest motion, and fear began to settle in as she realized that she would be powerless to defend herself or the others when the time came. The creature screeched in fury as it raised its bladed limb in preparation to cut her in half, and then suddenly, she was blinded by white light.

 _'_ _Am I dead?'_ she wondered as she strained her eyes to see through the light. _'No, I can't be,'_ she realized as her sensitive eyes began to burn, and her head started to ache painfully. She wished for nothing more than the ability to raise her hand to shield her eyes, and then almost as if on command, her wish was granted, and she felt the control of her body being restored.

The light slowly began to fade, and Lightning lowered her hand to check the spot where the beast had been standing. She saw nothing at first as she strained her eyes through the light, but then as it began to recede a bit more, she was able to make out something just a few inches from her face. It appeared to be the tip of a sword. She briefly wondered if it belonged to Cloud, but then it came into focus and she realized that it was one that she'd never seen before. The beast still held its previous position, but the sword did not belong to it either, rather the blade had been driven right though his chest. The monster let out a pained groan as the sword was suddenly retracted and its yellow eyes rolled back in its head before it disappeared into the same cloud of black smoke from which it had appeared.

Lightning's eyes meet hooves first, and then travelled upward to see six white legs, followed by the body of a beautiful horse. Sat atop the magnificent creature was a man that she did not know, but somehow, he felt familiar to her. He was dressed in silver and black plated armor with a long, purple cape draped from his shoulders, and upon his head, was a steel helmet that's design resembled antlers. The being looked down at her for a few moments before driving his sword into the ground and then dismounting his horse. He began walking toward her and Lightning felt her insides freeze again in uncertainty as he approached. He extended a hand to her to which she instinctively gripped without thinking. He pulled her to her feet and then took a knee before her, bowing his head in respect.

She was at a loss for words as she stared down at the man and the only emotion she could process was her own confusion as wondered why he was kneeling before her. He raised his head and mako blue met crimson red. His eyes had a familiar glow in them and Lightning felt as though she should recognize them, but for some reason, she couldn't figure it out. The man rose to his feet and then nodded once more before stretching out his hand again, reaching for her own. She hesitantly extended hers and as soon as her fingers made contact, the man began to glow and then took the shape of another being that she knew quite well. The transparent image of her long-lost friend flickered for a moment before dissolving into red smoke and then reforming in the palm of her hand as a crystallized rose. Lightning stared at the flower in disbelief for a few moments before movement to her right stole her attention.

"What just happened?" Tifa questioned as she and Cloud appeared by her side. "What was that thing?"

"Odin," Lightning and Cloud both replied in unison, causing Lightning to shoot the blonde a perplexed look.

"How did you-?" she began.

"He's a summon," Cloud answered, "but I've never heard of any summoning themselves before."

"He did it to protect me," Lightning realized as she looked back down at the crystallized rose in her hand that was identical to the one that she used to own. "Eidolons are a l'Cie's salvation," she explained. "They appear when a l'Cie has given up or lost their way... They came to put us out of our misery..." she went on. "...But if we bested them, they would serve and fight alongside us. We only got one, and Odin belonged to me."

"I guess that explains why he acted the way he did," Tifa replied. "He'd been locked in that safe for so long with that demon and he knew that it wanted to hurt you... that's why he summoned himself. His allegiance is still to you."

"But why is he here?" she questioned. "I lost him along with my brand when Cocoon fell."

"Maybe you didn't," Cloud answered. "Maybe he never left you."

"Maybe..." she muttered, still not completely convinced. Something weird was going on here and as hard as she searched her brain, she couldn't come up with a proper reason for Odin's presence on this planet or for why he now looked different.

"Is there anything else in the safe?" Tifa inquired as Cloud stepped forward to inspect the contents.

"Just a key," he replied.

"That's it?" Lightning asked in disappointment as he held up the skeleton key that he'd found in the safe. She'd really hoped there'd be something in there to explain Odin, or how he ended up here in Hojo's possession.

"I'm afraid so," he nodded. "Well, shall we?"

"Do you really think this Turk will be able to tell us anything?" Tifa questioned.

"I guess there's only one way to find out," Cloud shrugged. "Let's go see what he has to say," he added as he led them from the room and through the long corridor to the opposite side of the mansion.

"Uh, Cloud," Tifa began as he guided them into a seemingly ordinary bedroom at the end of the hall. "Didn't that paper say that he was in the basement?"

"Yeah," Cloud confirmed as he approached the curved stone wall in the corner of the room and slid one of the rocks to the side to reveal a lever. He pulled the handle and the wall immediately retracted to the side revealing a long, poorly constructed, spiral staircase that led into the damp basement. He resumed the lead as he guided them into the depths, which ended in a narrow pathway that was cut through the rocks beneath the house, making it resemble a cave.

"I think this is the room!" Tifa observed as she paused at an old wooden door in the rocky wall that had a nearly identical pattern carved into its lock as the key that Cloud had found in the safe.

"Wait!" Lightning whispered urgently. "There's light coming from that room at the end... I think there's someone there," she added just as a shadow suddenly danced across the wall.

Cloud held up a hand to silence them and then slowly crept down the remainder of the hallway with his hand gripped tightly around the hilt of his sword. Lightning felt her own hand tighten around her weapon as she followed closely behind the blonde into a large room that closely resembled a library. She briefly wondered why someone would keep a library in such a dark and damp place, but upon closer inspection, she realized that it was not a library at all, but rather a research laboratory. She felt her back press against the cold wall as her eyes travelled around and took in the various equipment ranging from small test vials and instruments to full sized experiment tanks.

She felt dazed and a little light headed as she looked around the room, taking in each piece of equipment around her. She could feel the anxiety rising within her and the sweat begin to form on her brow as she tried unsuccessfully to keep her emotions in check. She hadn't been conscious for most of her time in Hojo's captivity, but it was clear that the scars he'd given her ran deep because she felt herself beginning to crack at the very sight of the place and the realization of what had most likely occurred in here.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud roared, bringing Lightning's attention to the fact that there was someone else in the room.

"Being here brings back memories," a man's voice could be heard from the small passage leading to another section of the laboratory. "Are you going to participate in the Reunion?"

"I don't even know what the Reunion is!" Cloud shot back as his posture tensed.

"Jenova will be at the Reunion," the man calmly went on. "Jenova will join the Reunion, becoming the calamity from the skies."

"Jenova, a calamity from the skies?" Cloud inquired. "You mean she wasn't an Ancient!?"

"…I see," Sephiroth replied calmly as if Cloud's response had somehow disappointed him. "I don't think you have the right to participate…. I will go North past Mt. Nibel. If you wish to know… then follow…"

"…Reunion?" Cloud repeated in confusion. "Calamity from the skies?" he questioned, and then gasped in pain as something green collided with his chest, knocking the wind from him. The object bounced back into the hallway and then Cloud dropped to one knee, gripping his chest.

The assault on Cloud cut right through Lightning and finally freed her from the wave of emotion that had been consuming her from the very first moment she had set foot into this room. She sprang forward in an attempt to aid her blonde-haired lover but found herself face to face with Sephiroth instead as he glided through the small passage and then stopped dead at the sight of her. The man's long grey hair and dark clothing rippled slightly from the draft as his emerald eyes pierced into her own. At first, he seemed confused by her presence, but soon that confusion morphed into something else as he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

She never even had a chance to react before cold fingers wrapped around her neck and then she felt her back slam into the surface of the desk behind her as the man glared down at her with his evil, cat-like eyes. Lightning choked as she struggled to catch her breath as Sephiroth's angry eyes continued to burn into her own. Suddenly that anger was replaced with amusement as a large sword appeared beside his head.

"Let her go!" Cloud commanded as he pressed the blade against the neck of his grey-haired foe.

The pupils in Sephiroth's green eyes narrowed into cat-like slits before shifting towards Cloud and the blade at his neck. Cloud seemed to fall into a state of confusion for a few moments as he loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword, causing the blade to slip slightly. Sephiroth's lips formed into a slight smile as he carefully watched the blonde from the corner of his eyes.

"Cloud, what are you doing!?" Tifa's panicked voice cut through the air, causing the glow in Cloud's eyes to flicker slightly.

"I said, let her go!" Cloud barked as he shook his head slightly and then tightened his grip on his sword, pressing the blade deeper into Sephiroth's neck, which caused a bit of blood to trickle from the new cut.

"Traitor," Sephiroth hissed as he released Lightning into a fit of coughs before turning on his blonde opponent. Before Lightning could even process what was going on, Cloud was thrown backwards against a bookcase while his sword clattered loudly against the stone floor beside him. Sephiroth shifted his angry gaze between the two of them once more before dissolving into a cloud of green smoke and then flowing through the door from which they'd entered.

"Light, are you okay?" Tifa asked as she and Cloud suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Never better," Lightning rasped as her own hands reached up to gently massage her tender neck.

"What was that about?" Tifa inquired. "Do you know him?"

"No," she admitted. "That was the first time we've met... but I can see why he's so popular," she added sarcastically.

"He seems like he knows you," Tifa went on.

"Yeah," Lightning sighed as she got to her feet and straightened her uniform. "I have tons of friends in this place."

"Traitor," Cloud echoed as his blue eyes shifted to the door Sephiroth had disappeared through. "What did he mean by that?"

"Who the hell knows," Lightning shrugged irritably. "Can we just get out of this place now?"

"Aren't you curious why he was here?" Tifa asked as she turned down the passage that Sephiroth had come from.

"Not really," Lightning admitted.

"He was here that night…" Cloud reflected. "He'd been down here for days, reading the books. It was like he was possessed."

"Well, let's see what was so interesting," Tifa suggested as she started through the passage, stopping briefly to observe the different sections of books. "This is all on Jenova," she observed. "There are so many... we could be reading for months."

"Hmm..." Cloud hummed along as he walked to the opposite side of the desk towards two large glass containers that were positioned against the wall. He looked a bit disturbed as he stared at the giant beakers and then as he wiped a bit of dust from the glass, it was easy to see why. There were scratch marks all over the glass—marks that were clearly made by a human.

Lightning could feel herself becoming more uncomfortable by the second as she stared at the equipment, so she decided to retreat to the second room in the laboratory, which seemed to be more of a library than an actual part of the lab. The room was lined in tall bookcases, which were all overflowing with dusty leather-bound books, and in the center of the space was a large paper cluttered desk. She hesitantly approached the table and leaned against its smooth surface as she waited for the others to finish inspecting the lab. The piece of furniture shifted a bit under her weight and she quickly threw her hands backward onto the surface to stabilize herself. A paper stuck to her hand and as she attempted to shake it off, the headline caught her attention.

 _'_ _Escapee Report no. 1_

 _X Month X Day_

 _The two escapees were located near Midgar.'_

Lightning stared at the paper in confusion for a moment as she pondered whether it could possibly be relating to her and Aeris, and then quickly scanned the desk in search of the rest of the file.

 _'_ _Escapee Report no. 2,'_ she read as she discovered a small manila folder that laid upon the table, containing the rest of the documents.

 _'_ _Description of the time at capture._

 _Former member of SOLDIER/Number (XXXX)_

 _No effect could be detected from either Mako Radiation Therapy or Jenova on him._

 _Regular/Number (XXXX)_

 _Reaction to Jenova detected.'_

 _…_

 _'Escapee Report no. 3_

Status:

Shot for resisting.

Escaped during A's resistance.'

 _…_

 _'_ _Escapee Report no. 4_

 _Other:_

 _B's whereabouts is currently unknown, but pursuit is unnecessary due to his diminishing consciousness. Awaiting further instructions...'_

Lightning felt sick as she closed the folder and then tossed it back onto the table behind her. _'How does he keep getting away with this?'_ she wondered as her eyes travelled through the passage to find the martial artist and then shifted onto the blonde who appeared to still be hypnotized by the glass beakers. It was bad enough that the mad-scientist satisfied his psychotic urges on random innocent people, but the documentation she'd just read was proof that the man had no respect for anyone whatsoever. How on earth did he manage to get away with doing this to someone in SOLDIER—a member of Shinra, the very organization that he belonged to? This person wasn't a nobody. He had an identity. He had value to the Shinra, and yet he was killed for resisting Hojo's experimentation. Lightning felt the anger rise as she pushed away from the desk and stomped through the passage, catching the attention of both Cloud and Tifa as she stormed through the door and back out into the cool hallway.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked as he and Tifa emerged in the corridor behind her.

"Nothing," she lied. "I just want to do what we came down here to do."

The pair of them looked at her skeptically for a moment and then Cloud nodded. "Okay, we probably need to get moving anyway," he replied. "Let's hear what this person has to say and then get out of here," he added as he led them back down the hall to the door they had passed earlier. He stuffed the key into the lock and after a bit of jiggling, it finally turned.

Cloud pushed the door open and the three of them stood there for a moment as they took in the scene laid out before them. The small room was dark, and it was quite difficult to see much aside from the five coffins that were scattered along the walls, but that was all they needed to see, really. Four of the coffins sat wide open exposing the skeletons within them and the lid of the fifth was closed. There was nothing here anymore and what they saw was enough to tell them that they'd wasted their time playing Hojo's little game; the answers they sought had died along with his experiment.

"What was the point of all this?" Cloud questioned with a sigh he crossed the room and placed his hand on the lid of the closed coffin.

"... To wake me from the nightmare," a voice echoed against the walls, causing them all to jump slightly. The lid of the coffin shot aside to reveal a young man with long black hair. The black clothing he wore was draped in a ragged red cloak that extended up to partially cover the lower portion of his face, while an identical piece of fabric was tied around his head to keep his hair out of his red eyes that glowed through the darkness. "Who is it?" the man asked as he looked between the three of them, pausing briefly at Cloud and then Lightning. "...I don't know you," he finally said. "You must leave."

"You were having a nightmare," Cloud pointed out.

"How bad was your dream?" Tifa asked.

"Hmph... a nightmare?" the man questioned. "My long sleep has given me time to atone."

"What are you saying?" Cloud pressed.

"I have nothing to say to strangers," he snapped. "Get out! This mansion is the beginning of your nightmare."

"You can say that again," Cloud rolled his eyes, causing the man to shoot him a peculiar look.

"What do you know of this place?" the man demanded.

"Like you said," Cloud agreed, "this place is the beginning of a nightmare. No, it's not a dream, it's for real. Sephiroth has lost his mind. He found the secrets hidden in this mansion..."

"Sephiroth!?" the man questioned.

"You know Sephiroth?" they both asked in unison, and then the man sprang from his coffin to stand, perfectly balanced on the edge of it.

"You start first," the man demanded as he crossed his arms, awaiting his explanation.

Cloud tells the story of what Sephiroth did to the town, and all the while the man stands perfectly still as he listens intently, allowing Cloud's words to sink in. As Cloud finished his story, the man shifted his gaze to Tifa and then to Lightning as if he expected them to add their perspectives to the story. When they said nothing, his crimson eyes returned to Cloud.

"That's how it was," Cloud filled the silence as he continued to stare at the man, awaiting to hear what he had to say.

"So, Sephiroth knows he was created and about the Jenova Project?" the man verified. "He was missing but has recently reappeared. He has taken many lives and is seeking the Promised Land..."

"Yeah," Cloud confirmed. "Now it's your turn."

"Sorry... I cannot speak," he shook his dark head. "Hearing your stories is yet another sin for me... more nightmares shall come to me now than I previously had," he continued as he stepped back into his coffin. "Now please leave," he ordered as he laid back down and summoned the lid.

"You've got to be kidding me," Cloud huffed as he turned towards the door.

"Wait," Lightning commanded as she walked over to the coffin and kicked the side of it. "We're not leaving until you tell us what you know!"

"... You're still here," the man sighed as he pushed the lid aside and sat up to meet her gaze.

"Who are you?" she inquired as she glared down at the man.

Lightning felt uneasy as the man's crimson eyes burned into her own as if he had begun to search her very soul for something, however, she refused to look away. After a few moments, and what felt like the world's longest staring contest, he let out a heavy sigh and then shook his head. "I was with... Shinra Manufacturing in Administrative Research, also known as... the Turks," he finally answered. "Vincent."

"The Turks!?" Cloud questioned in disbelief.

"Formerly of the Turks," the man called Vincent corrected him with his eyes still trained on Lightning. "I have no affiliation with Shinra now. And you?" he asked as his gaze finally shifted to the others.

"Tifa," the martial artist introduced herself. "I grew up in this town."

"Cloud, formerly of SOLDIER," Cloud replied.

"What about you?" Vincent pressed as his gaze shifted back to Lightning. "What's your story?"

"Lightning," she answered and just left it at that.

Vincent looked at her skeptically for a moment as if he somehow already knew everything that she was withholding from him and then turned back to Cloud. "You were also with Shinra…? Then do you know Lucrecia?"

"Who?"

"…Lucrecia," Vincent repeated calmly. "The woman who gave birth to Sephiroth."

"…Gave birth?" Cloud questioned in confusion. "Wasn't Jenova Sephiroth's mother?"

"That isn't completely wrong, but it's just a theory," Vincent replied. "He was born from a beautiful lady. That lady was Lucrecia. She was an assistant to Professor Gast of the Jenova Project. Beautiful... Lucrecia."

"A human experiment?" Cloud asked with a truly disturbed expression upon his face.

"There was no way to cancel the experiment," Vincent went on. "I couldn't stop her. That was my sin. I let the one I loved, the one I respected most, face the worst."

"So, the punishment is sleep?" Tifa frowned. "That's weird."

Vincent didn't say another word, but rather laid back down in his coffin and let out a heavy sigh. Lightning stood there for a moment, refusing to take her eyes off the strange man, but a warm hand on her shoulder finally drew her attention away and she turned to see Cloud signal towards the door. She gave the man in the coffin one last look before turning to follow the others back out into the hallway. Not a word was spoken between them as they began to make their way back to the long spiral staircase that would lead them back into the mansion.

"Wait!" Vincent's voice called out from behind, causing them to turn on the spot to see the man standing just outside of the room from which they had just came. "If I go with you, will I meet Hojo?"

Cloud shot Lightning a nervous glance and then replied, "Dunno, but we're after him and Sephiroth. So, I guess sooner or later…"

"Lucrecia…" Vincent mumbled as he turned his head to face the wall. "Alright, I've decided to come with you."

"What?" Tifa gasped in disbelief. "You're coming with us?"

"Being a former Turk, I may be of help…" Vincent persuaded as his crimson eyes danced between them once again.

"Alright, then," Cloud shrugged.

"You serious?" Lightning whispered. "Don't we have enough people tagging along already? I mean, first that little nuisance, then the cat, and now this guy?"

"He may actually add some value," Cloud whispered back.

"He's a Turk!" Tifa inserted. "You're going to let the enemy walk around with us?"

"He's no more of a Turk any more than I am SOLDIER," Cloud reminded her. "Aren't you curious as to what he knows?"

"I suppose," Tifa conceded as she adverted her gaze.

"We have to meet the rest of our party in town," Cloud informed the man. "Sephiroth is heading north, so that is the direction we're headed as well."

"Very well," the former-Turk replied as he pulled a gun from his side holster and checked his ammunition. "Shall we?"

Cloud nodded and then led the group back up the stairs and through the mansion, coming to a pause in the entryway. He peeked his head from the front door and then sighed heavily. "Those things are still lurking around town," he observed. "Light, you might want to wait here."

"What are they?" Vincent inquired as he peered over Cloud's head for a better look.

"The townspeople," Cloud informed him. "The ones who lived here before Sephiroth destroyed it."

"What's wrong with them?" he asked.

"We're not sure," Cloud replied. "They seem sick and they keep talking about a 'Reunion' and Sephiroth. They wouldn't leave her alone."

"Reunion… Sephiroth…?" Vincent mumbled as he looked down at Lightning curiously. "Interesting…"

"I'll go get the others," Cloud said. "You all wait here."

Lightning simply nodded as Cloud vanished through the door and then returned her gaze to the former-Turk whose crimson eyes were still fixed upon her as if she was the most interesting person on the planet. She felt the same feeling of discomfort and unease that he'd given her in the basement and she wanted nothing more than to know what was going through his head. Something felt different about this man, something she couldn't quite explain. She was determined to figure it out, but for some reason, she felt as though he already had.

 _'_ _What do you know, Vincent?'_

* * *

 **A/N: Man, this chapter really was the beginning of a nightmare for me. I feel like this thing fought me every step of the way. I struggled writing certain parts of it, but it was the editing that really got to me. I've made two passes over this today and each time, I've felt as though I've rewritten over half of the chapter… and that's saying quite a bit considering that this thing will exceed the 10k mark. What's that? Like 4 of Wolf's chapters? XD JK! Anywho, I'm tired of looking at this chapter and I'm pretty excited to upload it so I can file it away and never look at it again lol. Speaking of Wolf, a million thanks for looking over this thing with a fresh pair of eyes, and for always being available when I need advice. Seriously though! I have the world's best beta reader :)**

 **So yeah, lots of things happened in this chapter. Nibelheim isn't what Cloud and Tifa remember it to be and those weirdo hooded guys are stalking Light. We saw the return of Odin and Light came face to face with Sephiroth! If you couldn't tell from his reaction, he really doesn't like her. Hmm… I wonder why? Lightning's not doing too well as she discovers more of Hojo's dirty secrets and its beginning to affect her. Speaking of dirty secrets, we met Vincent, and he's taken a real interest in our pink-haired heroine. Does that mean bad news for Spikey, or does Vincent know something that the others do not? Stay tuned to find out ;P**

 **In the next chapter, we cross Mt. Nibel. The game was rather lacking during this part, so expect a bit of originality to it. I'm pretty excited to make it to Rocket Town and to introduce my favorite FF7 character… CID! Oh, this story is gonna be so much fun to write once he's in the party! Seriously.. I cannot contain my excitement! XD**

 **Anywho, I hope you've all enjoyed the chapter! Please take a few minutes to leave your thoughts and feedback in the review section :)**

 **Love you all,**

 **Lady A**

 **P.S. If you haven't seen it already, I have a new story that was published under the XIII fandom last week, titled: Into the Dawn. It will be a side project that I'll work on when I need a bit of a break from this story. This story will still be my priority though, so don't worry about me abandoning it. If you're bored and want something new to read, click on my profile and give it a read. Don't forget to show it some love!**


End file.
